A Celestial Heart
by Lolipopsy
Summary: Warwick is after Soraka in order to take her heart to become more powerful.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The air was freezing, and the clear sky allowed the stars to lean towards the ground, lightening the scenery. In the distance, branches cracked, as if someone was stamping them without caring about breaking the peaceful silence. Akali paid attention to the noise. Her pursuer wasn't far away. They were moving fast, but made enough noise to wake up all the fish in the lake. Akali smiled: although she was unarmed, she was perfectly able to take her opponent out. For the moment, she was toying with them, running around to exhaust them. She leaned against a tree, listening to the approaching footsteps behind her. As a figure ran by, she moved behind it, using the shadows to remain unseen. The silhouette was that of a women. She stopped after a minutes, spinning around, obviously looking for her prey. Akali stood behind her back, ready to strike. As if a sixth sense lived within her opponent, the latter dodged by bouncing aside. She immediately counterattacked and kicked Akali's knee. The ninja leaped and landed on her enemy. Before the woman could make a move, Akali had twisted her arm behind her back and was holding her throat. "Gotcha!" she smiled before releasing her prey who stared at her, smirking too. "You know I'm not good at this game," Irelia said "so why do you keep forcing me to play?"

"I never forced you." Akali laughed "As far as I can remember, you've always been in when I offer you to play."

Irelia sighed "One day, I swear, I'll beat you, and you won't be laughing anymore."

"I can't wait to see this." Akali replied, looking at the stars "We should go back, it's been lasting a bit too long, and Karma's gonna be pissed if we're late."

"She can wait a bit." Ireila shrugged. She walked towards the shore of the lake and leaned forward.

"What are you looking at?"

Irelia took a few seconds before answering Akali's question "A wet cat."

"Cat?" Akali frowned and look at the water, looking for the animal. Irelia suddenly grabbed her waist and tried to push her into the cold water. Akali manged to keep her balance and tripped Irelia over. The latter fell headfirst in the lake while Akali burst out laughing "I can see your wet cat now!". Irelia shot her at sight before laughing too "Alright, I give up for today. We should go." Akali helped her out trying to contain her sarcastic comments.

Since Irelia had to change her outfit, they reached Karma's room in the Institute of War almost an hour late. The Enlightened One wouldn't be happy at all. It was actually worse than "not happy at all": Karma stared at the girls with a dark look, which made them uncomfortable. "Sorry if we're a bit late" Irelia tried out.

"What took you so long?" Karma asked, raising her voice "I've been waiting for an hour."

Akali and Irelia exchanged looks. "Irelia fell into the lake and had to change" Akali said before her companion could speak. Irelia glared at her and added " _She_ pushed me in the lake."

"Are you kidding me? You're late because you two were too busy behaving like kids?"

"So, what do we do? Going out for a drink?" Akali asked, ignoring the question.

"How about growing up?" Karma coldly replied.

"Who's got time for that?" Irelia laughed. "Maybe we could hit the tavern next to the alchemy shop. Jhin told me they had good food."

Karma rolled up her eyes, exasperated by their behavior. It wasn't the first time Irelia and Akali spent hours playing some fighting games, and she couldn't stop thinking it childish. "I should've left without you."

"And end up drinking alone? That's kind of sad, isn't it."

Akali smiled hearing the comment, and Karma retorted "It's still better than babysitting you for the evening."

"We're sorry mom." Irelia said with a fake guilty voice while Akali laughed.

After they ate, they all went back to their dorms. It was late, and Akali fell asleep as soon as she laid her head on her pillow. The next morning, she was called to the Fields of Justice for an important match. She teleported on the platform in the base along with Braum, Varus, Rammus and Riven. She headed down the dirt track, ready to kick the hell out of her opponent. Birds were singing in the trees, and a squirrel was standing on the stone wall along the path. Akali waited for her enemy to appear, and her blood froze in her veins when she saw the Sinister Blade who had a large smile on her face. Despite herself, all her optimism suddenly vanished. She had managed to defeat Katarina several times, but the assassin had always had the upper hand. The Fist of Shadow was a prodigiously quick fighter whose agility was legendary, but Katarina was on a whole other level. She was a ruthless killing machine, driven by violence and a terrifying thirst for blood. To Akali, the worst in the assassin's behavior was the indifference and sometimes the joy displayed on her face when she killed. Akali decided to be extremely careful, not averting her eyes from her opponent. Katarina wasn't moving, but the smirk on her face made the ninja even more wary.

As soon as the first wave of minions came, Katarina darted forward and Akali barely had enough time to dodge. She spun around, trying to strike her enemy, but the latter was no more there. Akali felt an explosion of pain in her back and fell on the ground. Katarina put a foot on her shoulder before leaning over "Is it over yet?". Akali rolled aside and stood up, shaking. Of all her fights, she had never been taken out this quickly. Katarina was laughing, and she seized this instant of distraction to dash at her. She moved to the left to hit her flank and changed course at the last second. The Sinister Blade managed to dodge, but lost her balance for half a second. Akali dived once again and sliced through Katarina's abdomen. The assassin doubled up, growling in anger. The ninja jumped forward a third time in order to off her enemy. She hit nothing but the air. She twisted, sure that Katarina was behind her. Nothing. Her heart was beating hard enough to get out of her chest, Akali scrutinized her surroundings. The assassin had vanished. She carefully stepped back towards her tower. "I'm still here" a voice said on her left. Akali startled and was too slow to block the attack that struck her leg. Katarina swung her blades and stabbed her in the chest before she could make a move.

The rest of the match was a real nightmare, as the assassin grew more and more confident. Akali's body and outfit were soaked in blood, and her teammates' anger was rising at her. It ended with a defeat for Akali's team, and when they teloported back to the Institute, Braum, Varus, Riven and Rammus walked away without a word. Akali noticed that Katarina was staring at her, a mocking smile on her lips. The ninja shot her at sight and went back to her room, her whole body stiff. She collapsed on her bed, and closed her eyes, too tired to shower, but sleep seemed to be avoiding her.

 _ **Note: Here's the first chapter of my new story. After a few unsatisfying attempts, I finally have a plot around the characters. As you've probably noticed, English is not my first language. Any review and advice are therefore more than welcome.**_

 _ **See you for chapter 2!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When she woke up, the sun was setting, its rays coloring the room with a golden light. Akali sat on the bed and winced: the pain in her muscles hadn't worn off. On the contrary, she felt like she had been stamped by a horse. She could barely stand on her legs, but she tried to warm up her muscles. It became easier to move, and she went out to relax outside, sure she wouldn't be called to the Rift after her terrible match the very morning. Irelia and she had planned to meet by the big fountain in the courtyard and hang out in the evening. Akali walked towards the center of the courtyard, trying to conceal her pain. Irelia showed up two minutes later, a large and sarcastic smile on her face. She laughed when she saw Akali's dark look "I watched your match this morning. I usually don't do that, but Jhin told me it was worth it. Katarina wouldn't let go of you."

"Can you please not talk about this" Akali growled before smiling "This woman is not human."

"What is she, then?"

"I'd categorize her as a monster using a human form. No wonder she's among the most hated people here."

"Well, she does have some friends."

"Assassin friends." the ninja shrugged. "Anyways. Where do we go?"

"I just have to take care of something first: I've found Teemo's blowpipe. I'll give it back to him."

"You know, you could keep it. It would do some good to everyone here."

"Come on, he's a nice little guy, and cute."

Akali eyeballed her, and Irelia laughed "You've never talked to him."

"Okay, fine" Akali gave up "Let's do this and find your fur ball."

After a few seconds of walking, Akali's legs gave way, and a sharp pain torn her back. She tripped over, and Irelia managed to catch her before she touched the ground. "Are you alright?" she asked with a concerned voice. He eyes had lost all sign of mockery and displayed anxiety.

"I'm fine. It's just the aftermaths of the match."

"It's not supposed to be this serious. You can have some body stiffness, but that's it."

"Say that to Katarina. She really beat the shit out of me."

"Maybe you should see Soraka. We can stop by her room."

Akali almost declined, as she didn't want anyone to see her like this. The expression on her friend's face deterred her however, and she quietly agreed. On their way, Akali leaned on Irelia who kept making fun of her despite her concern "Do you want me to get a wheel-chair?"

"For fuck's sake, shut up!" Akali begged.

The healer opened the door and asked what was wrong. After hearing about the situation, she had Akali and Irelia come in. Soraka's room was larger than the others because it was used as an infirmary. There were several beds, all empty. She asked the black-haired woman to lie on one of them before examining her. "I've already received complains of pain after a difficult match, but the effects usually disappear after a few hours. I guess it comes from your match this morning?"

"Is everyone aware of it or what?" Akali replied, annoyed.

"I just heard some rumors which I can confirm now."

Irelia chuckled and Akali would have given anything to sink her head in the lake again. After a few minutes, Soraka said "I can heal you, but you'll have to stay here overnight without moving."

"And what if I don't?"

"Don't take it badly, but you were so brutally hit that the healing spells of the Fields couldn't deal with it. If I don't do anything, it might take weeks for your body to recover."

Akali sighed and eventually agreed. Irelia smiled "It seems that you compromised our plans for tonight. I'll give this thing back to Teemo. I'll come and see you tomorrow morning."

Akali made a face, and Irelia got out, laughing.

"You guys really are kids." Soraka commented.

"Haven't you talked to Karma, by any chance?" Akali asked, certain that Karma had complained about their behavior to all the inhabitants of the building.

"She said she was exasperated by your conduct."

"She's too serious. Having fun is good."

"I'm sure you did not have fun this morning." Soraka replied with sarcasm. "Try to sleep now."

A whisper woke up the young woman, and a cold shiver ran down her spine. She heard Soraka's voice followed by the sound of a door opening. Pretending to be sleeping, she paid attention to every sounds. Soraka seemed to be talking to someone standing in the corridor. Akali recognized the voice of Singed who was apparently begging for something. Soraka refused, trying not to raise her voice. She tried to close the door, but Singed put his foot in the interstice. A loud noise startled Akali and she jumped up. She saw that Soraka was stepping back, and that Warwick was standing in front of her. Although her body was still aching, Akali ran towards the healer "What are you doing?" She barked at Warwick. The wolf obviously didn't know she was in the room and gave Soraka a dark look before running outside with a snarl. "You shouldn't be up, Akali." Soraka said with a shaky voice.

"What's going on here? He seemed to be about to attack you."

"It's nothing, really. Go back to bed."

"Not before you tell me what's wrong. We all know that you and Warwick are not exactly best friends."

Soraka stared at her, but remained silent.

"You're always helping others," Akali insisted "but you won't accept any help for your own problems. It's not fair for you."

Soraka lowered her eyes and said "Maybe. Warwick has become more and more threatening lately. He says I have something he longs for, and wants me to follow him. He won't tell me what his plan is, and I have no trust in his kind words. It's clear he's getting furious since I don't give him what he wants."

"What could he possibly want from you? If he needs your healing power, he can ask."

"I think he wants something else. He already tried to kill me once, and I can barely stand to see him around. Still, I want to know."

Akali frowned "You're not gonna do as he says, right. Everybody knows Warwick is a sick fuck."

"I'm not. I was planning to go back to Ionia and do some research in the library about what he could possibly want."

"If you want, I can find Warwick and force him to talk." Akali offered.

"I'm afraid he won't say a thing and, even if he did, how could you know it is the truth?"

"I can tell when people lie."

The healer slightly smiled "This is the issue: Warwick is not a person."

"I'm very convincing, you know."

Soraka suddenly stopped smiling and severely looked at Akali "Violence might be your way, but it's not mine. I refuse you torture him just to get information."

Akali was about to protest when Soraka added "You're not an assassin, right?". The image of Katarina sprang to Akali's mind. No, she wasn't like this.

"Isn't there a way I can help you? I could escort you to Ionia. If he really wants something from you, he'll probably follow you all the way to the Island. It may be dangerous."

Soraka walked towards the window and looked outside. The night was cold, but she opened the window. After a long while she said "You're right. You can come if you want. Now can you go back to bed please? I don't want you to complain tomorrow that the pain's still there, and you don't want to spend the whole day here."

Akali went back to her bed, wondering if she hadn't been a little too impulsive when making her offer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Soraka told Akali she had planned to leave three days later. Akali had entirely recovered and she noticed with some satisfaction that her terrible performance had driven all the summoners away from her. The day before departure, as she was packing up, Irelia showed up in her room. She immediately stopped when she saw the bag. "Are you going somewhere?" She asked.

"Back to Ionia with Soraka." Akali replied. "I'm useless here, and I'll be back soon anyways."

"Why are you going to Ionia? You haven't put a foot there for years."

"I'm just accompanying Soraka, that's it."

Irelia frowned and thought for a minute. "Mind if I join you?" she asked.

Akali was so stunned by her question that she dropped her two blades on the ground. The weapons fell with a racket loud enough to wake up a dead person.

"What?"

"Will my presence disturb your mission?" Irelia rephrased, articulating each word.

"Er, I'm not sure Soraka will be happy if I talk to everyone about her situation."

"I'm not asking you about her situation. I'm just asking you if I can come." As Akali hesitated, Irelia added "I won't ask you any question about why she has to go there. And it's safer to travel if we're more, right?"

"Why would you want to come? You can't just leave an ignore your summoners' calls."

Irelia had a mischievous smile "I'll make something up."

Akali picked up her weapons "Maybe you should talk to Soraka about it. It's not up to me to decide whether you can come or not."

Irelia's smile grew larger "I'll be right back.", and she hurried out while Akali sighed, wondering why she wanted to come with them this much. She finished packing up, and, as Irelia wouldn't come back, she went to sleep.

The next morning Akali made for Soraka's room in order to see if she was ready to go. She startled when she pushed the door and saw Soraka and Irelia apparently waiting for her. Irelia had somehow managed to convince Soraka. Irelia smiled at the sight of Akali's face. The ninja didn't say a thing, but promised herself to bombard Irelia with questions as soon as she could. "Are you all ready?" Soraka asked. Both girls nodded positively, and they left the Institute. The easiest way to reach Ionia was to go to Noxus, and then take a boat to cross the sea. Akali estimated that the journey would take around three weeks to get to Noxus. Soraka was walking ahead while Akali slowed down to walk by Irelia "So, how did you do?" she asked.

"I have my ways, you know. At first she refused, because she didn't want me to know what was happening, so we made a deal: she agreed to let me come, and I agreed not to ask any question."

"So you're just traveling blindingly? I still don't understand why you insisted on coming. I agreed because I have nothing else to do."

"It's been a while since I took some vacation, and I thought going back to Ionia would be a good thing. I just seized the opportunity to travel with you. Are you complaining?"

"You'd know it if I were complaining. You took some days off from the League?"

"Yes, they didn't argue actually. They told me they needed to make some adjustments to the terrain and spells on the Rift, and that it might take a while. They suspended all matches until further notice."

Akali tried to picture the Institute almost empty. The summoners weren't going to be happy, but the decisions about the League weren't up to them anyways. Akali glanced at Irelia who was watching a bird fly overhead "I'm sure you have a reason to come. Won't you tell me?"

"No, not now. Maybe later." Her voice was firm, and she wouldn't tell more so Akali didn't insist.

Soraka was waiting for them a bit further. Akali wondered how the healer could walk so fast. Maybe it was due to her hooves. At the end of the day, they reached a small village. The place was very poor, and there was nothing resembling an inn. Akali and Irelia exchanged looks and followed Soraka. She headed towards a small house and knocked. A middle-aged man opened the door. He had sliver hair and a blind eye. "What can I do for you?" he asked with a tired voice.

"My name is Soraka, and I am a healer. I felt suffering in your house. Will you allow me to have a look?"

"What? How did you... my brother and his child are wounded." He was stammering, and took a deep breath. He carefully looked at the travelers, judging if they could pose a threat. He hesitated when he saw Akali's and Irelia's weapons, but eventually nodded "Come in, healer". The inside of the house was larger than expected. Two beds were occupied: one by a man, and the other one by a little girl. The man had a bandage around his stomach. The cloth was covered in blood. Akali got closer to the child whose leg was bandaged as well. "What happened?" Soraka asked, moving the fabric to see the wounds.

"They were hunting and were attacked by a group of bandits. My brother carried his daughter here, but the cut got infected. Same for the girl." He put his hand on the girl's forehead, and she moved with a moan. "Can you do something about this?" he added with a desperate voice. Soraka took her staff and sat by the man on the bed. A dead silence followed, as they were all watching her. The staff glimmered, as if veins of light ran though it. A green light reached Soraka's hand and she put it on the large cut. Akali's eyes widened when she saw the skin stitch itself up, leaving a thin scar. Soraka repeated the same move on the child, and told the silver-haired man "They need to rest. They both have lost a lot of blood. They cannot move for at least a week, or the wound might reopen". The man was staring at her with sparkling eyes, full of gratitude. He took his purse "How much do I owe you?"

"Just a bed for the night for me and my friends will be perfect." Soraka smiled. The man didn't know how to react. He agreed and started preparing sleeping bags on the ground. While Irelia helped him out, Akali looked at Soraka. The celestial child was making a pomade for the wounded. Akali's respect for this woman grew: she knew Soraka was a gifted healer, but to witness how altruist she was in such circumstances had a whole other effect.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next day, the man and his daughter opened their eyes. Their host shook Soraka's hand a thousand times before they could finally leave. Irelia was walking ahead with the healer while Akali lingered behind. They were moving through the large rocky meadow between the Institute and Noxus. A few wild goats were standing on rocks a bit further, watching the trio as they walked by. Too busy looking at the animals, Akali almost bumped into Irelia who had stopped. "Why are you stopping?" Akali asked.

"Check this out." Irelia replied pointing at something on the ground. It was a dead billy goat. Akali looked carefully at the body: its stomach had been torn apart, and its organs were scattered all around the corpse. The dirt had reddened because of the blood. Were there dangerous predators in this place? Soraka answered her silent question "I've never heard of any animal killing a prey not to eat them. I think men did this."

"Why would they do such a thing?" Irelia asked with a cold voice.

"Maybe they needed one organ in particular and left the rest here. What worries me is that the corpse is still intact, as if other predators were avoiding it."

"We shouldn't stay here." Irelia said, scanning the area. "Let's get going."

They walked the rest of the day without meeting a soul. As the sun finished setting, darkening the sky, Soraka suddenly stopped and said "I feel something. There is someone wounded a bit further down the road.". Akali wondered if the healer was able to feel people who needed help. Trusting her judgment, Irelia and Akali followed Soraka. There was a dark shape on the ground. When she got closer, Akali saw it was a boy, maybe around six years-old. He was crying and holding his arm against his chest. Soraka crouched next to him "Hi little guy. What are you doing here on your own? Are you hurt?"

The kid sniffed and replied "My arm hurts pretty bad.". Akali was puzzled. Why was this kid alone here?

"How did you break your arm?" Soraka gently asked.

"Bad men did this. They took my mom." His voice was trembling, and so was his whole body.

"Men? Where are they?" Irelia asked as the healer cast a bright light to repair the broken bones.

"I ran away, but they have my mom. I saw them go that way.". He was pointing towards a huge rock, larger than any other around. It indeed could be a good lair for bandits.

"How many men did you see?" Irelia asked. Her tone was more firm than Soraka's, and the boy startled.

"They were five...or maybe six. I'm not sure. Please, you have to get my mom!" he was clinging to the Soraka's arm like a terrified kitten.

"We'll get her, don't worry." Akali said with a soft voice, exchanging looks with Irelia. "We'll go together to the rock, and you'll hide somewhere with Soraka.".

Soraka nodded, imitated by Irelia while the boy muttered something close to a "thank you". They all walked towards the rocky formation. Akali and Irelia could take care of a few men without any problem. They climbed up a small rock from where they could see a campfire below. There were five tents and a few men were standing in the center. There was no trace of the mother. She was probably in on of the tents. "Wait for us." Irelia told Soraka.

She and Akali climbed down, taking advantage of the shadows to be almost invisible. They had decided to use violence as a last resort, their objective consisting in a rescue mission. Irelia made for the three tents on the left while Akali sneaked to the two others on the right. As she got closer to the first tent, she heard someone running loudly behind her. She turned around, and her blood froze when she saw the boy dash towards the middle of the camp, right where the bandits were. What was he doing? Soraka was running on his heels. All the bandits turned their gazes to the healer. The boy kept running and stopped by a colossal man with short hair who put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. Everything became clear in Akali's mind. It was a trap. From the very beginning it had been a trap. The boy said something to the big man, and he barked "Search the area and find them!". Then, he strode to Soraka who had no time to run away. He twisted her arm behind her back and forced her to kneel.

Akali hesitated between staying hidden to eliminate the bandits one by one, and jumping to help Soraka. A man was approaching, and she quickly made her choice: without any form of mercy, she dived at him. She put a hand on his mouth before he could even see her, and knocked him out. As fast as she could, she dashed at the colossus. As if warned by a sixth sense, he roared "Stop or I'll rip her apart!". He was holding Soraka, his blade against her throat. The ninja stopped dead, glancing around. There was only one other man. The others were looking for Irelia who was nowhere to be seen. "Drop your weapons!" the bandit commanded. His acolyte was too far away to be an actual threat, and Akali was close enough to the colossus to reach him...if she were quick enough. She pretended to slowly put her weapons on the ground. Her enemy loosened his grasp, and Akali lunged forward. In the blink of an eye, she was next to him, swinging her weapons to severe his flank. He managed to dodge, but had to let go of Soraka, which was Akali's goal. The other guy was now closer, and she would have to fight them both, but she was confident in her abilities. She slowly walked around her enemies, waiting for an opening. Soraka gave it to her: a bright light came from the sky, striking the zone where the bandits were standing. Stunned by the shock, they were too slow to block when Akali dashed. She cut the tendons behind the knees of the first opponent, and one second later, she had sliced the colossus' throat open. Both corpses collapsed on the ground. "Thanks" Akali smiled at Soraka.

Irelia chose this moment to show up, blood spots covering her clothes. "You always know how to make it on time." Akali sarcastically said.

"I thought you would enjoy a bit of 'alone time' with your buddies. I have eliminated the two other bandits, and I haven't found any woman in any of the tents."

They all turned their gazes to the boy who was shaking like a chihuahua. "Anything to say, kid?" Irelia asked with a dead-cold voice. The child didn't reply and kept crying. "What should we do with him?" Akali asked.

"Just leave him here and go." Irelia said.

"What? He's gonna die if we do this."

"So what? He tried to kill us in case you didn't notice."

"I don't think so." Soraka retorted before Akali could say anything. "They probably used him as a bait. When we found him, he was actually hurt. I think those bandits deliberately broke his arm to trick us.". She turned to the boy and asked his name.

"Jakil" he sniffed, keeping his look down.

"Do you ave any family, Jakil?"

He nodded negatively, and Irelia sighed "Any idea?"

"We could take him to the next village and have someone take care of him." Soraka suggested.

"What if nobody wants? Or if the family we'll find isn't trustworthy?" Akali asked.

"Will you stop?" Irelia barked "That's not our problem. He's lucky enough we're not leaving him on his own."

Although Akali felt her anger rise, she remained silent. It wasn't the right time for an argument with Irelia. "Fine!" the latter said "Don't count on me to carry him if he's too tired to walk!"

 _ **Note: Here's chapter 4. I hope you enjoy my story. I don't have much time to write, but I try to keep it up. Reviews are welcome. Do not hesitate to say if I need to change anything or maybe focus more on the action or relationships. Thanks :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

They reached the next village two days later, two days during which Jakil barely said a word despite Soraka's attempts to get him to talk. They asked the innkeeper if someone there could take care of a young child. He immediately fetched a couple who apparently couldn't make babies. They swore to Soraka Jakil would be treated well after the healer had told them about the kid's background. The new parents seemed trustworthy and genuinely happy to Akali. Irelia on the other hand didn't even say goodbye and strode out of the building, mumbling. Akali followed her while Soraka was still talking.

Irelia had stopped by a small tree on the left side of the tavern. "Is there something wrong?" Akali asked her.

"Uh? What makes you think that?" Irelia replied.

"Your attitude maybe. You seem to disagree about Jakil."

"Of course I'm against protecting someone who tried to hurt us, even if he's only a child."

"Soraka asserted he was force to cooperate. Do you think he was happy to have his arm broken by those cunts?"

"He could have just warned us when we met him!"

"He was scared, Irelia. Don't tell me you wouldn't have been!"

"He could have run away. They weren't even watching him."

"He is a kid" Akali retorted, articulating each syllable. She was raising her voice, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't understand why Irelia kept complaining.

"You'll end up dead if you trust your enemies this much."

"He is a kid, not my enemy."

"He lured you to a trap."

"He's still a kid."

Irelia rolled her eyes to the sky "For fuck's sake you're so pig-headed, you're annoying me!". She sighed and added "Why can't I stay angry at you even for five minutes?"

"Probably because you have no actual reason to be angry at me." Akali replied, elbowing Irelia.

"You wish! I have tons of reasons. They're just not good enough I guess."

They were interrupted by Soraka leaving the inn and walking towards them. "I'm sure Jakil will be raised well here." She said. "Shall we go?"

For the next three days, they walked from village to village. The area was populated, and they eventually reached a bigger city surrounded by stone walls. The night was already there, but Akali wanted to explore the city. Since they had to leave early the next morning, she decided to go after dinner. She asked Irelia and Soraka if they wanted to come, but they declined, preferring to rest. Akali roamed around on the market place in the center. Some merchants were still trying to sell their goods to the few people striding them by. Some kids were playing in the streets lightened by torches. The city itself looked old, and most of the buildings were collapsing. As she turned in a perpendicular street, a noise coming from behind startled her. She turned around and saw a young girl limping towards her. Her clothes were torn apart, and she was obviously running away from something. She bumped into Akali, clinging to her shoulder. Her face was bruised and a large cut on her temple was bleeding abundantly. Akali didn't have time to ask her was was going on: a figure appeared in the dark. The creature was an elf, slender, whose hair reached his waist. When she heard him, the girl tightened her grasp. Akali moved in front of her, staring at the elf. "What do you want?" she asked.

"This woman is a dangerous prisoner who escaped from our cells along with other inmates."

Akali glanced at the girl's outfit. Her clothes were stylish and well-made: definitely not a prisoner's clothes. The ninja kept silent, giving the elf a dark look. She silently cursed: her weapons were in the inn. All she had were four throwing knives, which should be more than enough for this guy. As the latter stepped forward, Akali shouted "Don't move closer! I know what you are, and you should be glad I'm not killing you right now! Beat it if you don't want to die."

The elf hesitated, but eventually turned around and walked away.

Akali turned to the girl who seemed shocked. Maybe she could take her to Soraka. "Are you alright?". The stranger tried to talk, but no sound came out of her mouth. Akali frowned, understanding she was mute. She regretted not killing the elf even more now. "I'm gonna take you to my friend. She's a healer and will help you.". The girl yanked on her shoulder, pointing the spot where the elf was standing. "What?" Akali asked. Something whistled on her right, and a sharp pain ran through her leg. She fell on the ground, staring at her calf: a long arrow was thrust in her muscle. She looked up, and saw several figures climbing down the roofs. The young girl was in two minds between helping Akali and saving her hide. "Don't stay there! Run!" Akali shouted. The stranger bolted away, but didn't go far because of her limp. A short man jumped off a roof and pinned her to the ground while three others were coming close to Akali. The ninja managed to stand up and, in less than a second, threw two knives, each one of them striking their target. The last man dashed forward, kicking Akali's wounded leg, and punched her in the face, knocking her out.

When she opened her eyes, she couldn't see a thing: it was pitch dark. When she moved her leg, the pain came back, sharper than ever. Akali moved her hands around and felt something next to her: a body. It moved at her touch. It was probably the other girl. The latter took Akali's hand, holding her tight. Akali walked around, not surprised to find out they were in a small cell. There was a locked door, but the lack of light made any action impossible. Akali felt the keyhole, trying to unlock the door with the tiny tools she kept in her boot. After several failed attempts, she stopped and went back to the mute girl. "What's your name?" she asked even though the girl couldn't reply. The latter took her hand and drew letters with her finger: _Kya_. Together they waited as there was nothing else to do.

 _ **Note: Here's chapter 5. I hope you enjoyed.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

When the door finally opened, two torches revealed the faces of two men and one woman. They seized Akali and Kya and took them to another room upstairs. Akali didn't struggle, studying every detail of the place in order to escape as soon as possible. They walked through a maze of humid corridors. Akali glanced at the people surrounding her: The men were short and had the same facial structure with long dark hair. The woman was older, probably in her forties. All of them were armed with short blades and wore the same outfit.

Once in the room, they closed the door behind them. Akali and Kya's hands weren't tied, which meant those guys either were confident they wouldn't try to escape, either they didn't see them as a serious threat. In both cases they were wrong: even unarmed, the ninja remained a harbinger of death. She just had to wait for the right moment in order not to put Kya's life in danger. "Who are you, and why are we here?" she asked while stepping away from the young girl.

"Shut up!" one of the guys barked.

"What? You're too shy to answer? Or maybe you don't even know and just take orders."

The guy was pretty hot-tempered as he moved close to her, his fist clenched "You want me to shut you up?"

Akali gave him a provocative smirk "I was waiting for this".

She darted at the man, grasping his wrist and brutally twisting it. A cracking sound followed by a scream of pain echoed in the room. Akali took the man's knife and cut his throat before dashing at the two others who were still wondering what was happening. Akali winced when the pain in her leg stretched to her whole body. Ignoring it, she stabbed the woman in the heart, spun around and sliced the last man's throat in one move. The two bodies collapsed before Kya could even make a move. Akali turned to her "Are you alright?". The young girl nodded, an expression of pure astonishment on her face. "We have to go." the Fist of Shadows said "Follow me and don't slow down."

Limping forward, she walked through the corridors, Kya on her heels. Twice they managed to hide from guards passing by. A sudden shout started the two women: the alarm had been raised. Akali cursed under her breath. Had she been on her own, she wouldn't have had difficulties escaping, but Kya was there, and she wasn't going to leave her alone. Akali chose to turn right, hoping this would lead towards an exit. She had no idea where to go, and they kept moving blindingly. She heard a noise and stretched her arm to stop Kya from going further. Her back nailed against the wall in the shadows, Akali's heartbeat rocketed when four men appeared around the corner. They stopped dead when they saw the prisoners. Two of them died to Akali's knife before they could realize what was happening. The two remaining ones attacked simultaneously. Akali dodged the first hit, but the second one left a bleeding cut on her abdomen. Her heart sank as she heard more running footsteps: even if she managed to eliminate the two men, they wouldn't stand a chance if more came. She threw her knife at a man, hitting him right in the eye, and turned around. "Run!" she ordered Kya. They dashed at top speed in the direction they came from. After a short moment, they stopped again: the way was blocked by more guards. Before Kya and she could make a move, one of the guards in front of them collapsed on the ground, his belly pierced by a blade Akali recognized immediately. Spinning around, Irelia took off the rest of the men before reaching her friend. "Are you alright?". Akali couldn't help smirking "What took you so long?"

"A little chat wit a handsome guy.", Irelia smiled. "Follow me, Soraka is waiting for us around the corner.".

Soraka appeared at the sound of their voices and ran towards them, holding her staff and Akali's weapons. "Let me see." she ordered. Akali wondered for a second what she was talking about. When it finally reached her brain, she firmly replied "Later, we gotta go.". The healer gave her a fierce look. "We can't stay here." Irelia added. Soraka gave up, but didn't avert her eyes from the ninja. Akali had Kya run between Soraka and her while Irelia was leading the way. As she limped, trying to keep up the pace, she paid attention to her surroundings, but it was dead quiet. "This way." Irelia whispered. Akali's wounded leg was trembling, and it could hardly carry her. Despite all her efforts to maintain her speed, she began to slow down, panting. Soraka glanced back and when she saw that Akali was lingering behind, she grabbed her wrist and forced her to move faster "Come on, we're almost out.". They eventually reached a door which Irelia busted open. They were outside. Akali sighed in relief when a loud scream startled her. She looked around and saw several figures running towards them, weapons at hand. They were five. Akali dragged her leg behind her, wincing in pain and leaning on Soraka's shoulder. Running would be hard, maybe impossible. Irelia had probably reached the same conclusion as she said "You three stay there. I'll take care of them.". Akali wanted to protest, but Irelia had already walked away. There was no chance she could fight five guards at the same time in an open space and beat them. Soraka didn't seem too worry, and she was intensely staring at Irelia.

Irelia dashed forward, killing an opponent on the spot. Akali knew she was strong, but what she saw would have made the greatest swordsmen cry. The Will of the Blades was spinning around, flashing at her enemies to kill them before dodging the next hit. A true dance of death. Two minutes later, five bodies were lying on the ground, and Irelia came back to the trio. "We have to leave the city". Turning to Kya, she asked "Do you have a place to go?"

"My family lives in a farm a bit outside the city. I'll go warn them."

"Will you be fine on your own?" Soraka asked.

"Yes, I know a shortcut outside the city. I'll be home in ten minutes.". She smiled at Akali "Thank you for helping me."

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?"

"Nah it's alright. You should go before anyone else shows up."

Soraka gave her a smile, and Kya ran away. Irelia helped Akali while the StarChild was running in front of them. They kept glancing around, expecting an attack. After a couple minutes, Akali couldn't hold a moan of pain. Soraka brutally stopped in the middle of their course, and said. "I don't care if anybody's following us, I'll patch you up here, at least a little. If you keep slowing us down, they will surely catch up to us." Without waiting, she put her hand on Akali's leg and a light glow appeared. The pain didn't subside, but it was more bearable. The healer repeated the process on her abdomen. "You should be fine like this." Soraka said "I'll finish it later.". Her tone had startled Irelia and Akali, as they had never heard Soraka speak with a voice other than soft and calm. They started off and left the city, almost invisible in the dark of the night.

 _ **Note: Here's chapter 6. Don't worry guys, I'm working hard on the main plot. I haven't forgotten Warwick, and he's lurking around, watching and patiently waiting.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Note: I would like to thank my beta reader Vievin for helping me make this chapter better. I hope you'll enjoy it!**

 **Chapter 7**

They walked until dawn without stopping, wishing to put as much distance between them and the city as possible. Akali's leg started to hurt again, but she didn't complain. She stared at Irelia who was walking a bit ahead, still amazed by her performance. Every time she had fought against or alongside her, she had never suspected that Irelia could be this strong. She then turned her eyes to Soraka. The healer seemed lost in her thoughts. What did she expect to find in Ionia? She probably knew more than she would tell. All Akali knew was that Warwick had once tried to kill her, but failed to do so. His purpose remained unknown, but he hadn't given up.

When they finally stopped, hiding behind a small rocky formation in case somebody had been following them, Akali sat down with difficulties. Soraka knelt next to her and, despite her fatigue, used her powers to heal the cuts until nothing but a thin and clear scar remained. They all went to bed, but sleep seemed to be avoiding Akali. When she was convinced she couldn't sleep, she rose to stretch her limbs. She looked at Irelia and was surprised to find her friend staring at her. Irelia stood up and signaled her to follow her. She led Akali a bit away from their camp. "Can't sleep either?" she said.  
"Probably because you were staring at me the whole time.".  
"You don't like me staring at you?" Irelia replied provocatively.  
Akali made a face and the Will of the Blades cracked up. "More seriously," Akali said, "thanks for helping me earlier."  
"That's what I'm here for, and you'd better thank Soraka. She's the one who got worried about you not coming back."  
Akali sighed. "Anyways, what you did there was pretty impressive."  
Irelia mumbled something she could not understand. After a silence, the ninja added: "Can I ask you something? And please be honest."  
"What is it?"  
"Why did you really want to come with us?"  
Irelia frowned, as she probably did not expect the question. Despite her surprise, her answer was straight. "I came to make sure you and Soraka are safe."  
It was Akali's turn to frown. "What do you mean? I can perfectly take care of myself."  
"From your own point of view perhaps, but I know you, and you are likely to make decisions far too recklessly. It's already gotten you in trouble."  
"I've always made them on my own!" Akali replied with an annoyed voice. "I don't need a babysitter.".  
"You don't?" Irelia retorted, trying to keep her voice down. "How about today? Would you have made it by yourself?"  
"So what are you implying? That I can't watch over myself?"  
"Stop thinking about yourself for a second!" Irelia barked. "Your reckless actions might put Soraka in danger. That's why I'm here.".  
Akali gritted her teeth not to speak to loud. What was wrong with Irelia all of a sudden? "So what? Should I just stay in the back and follow?"  
"I told you, I'm here to make sure you and Soraka are safe with each other. So act like always, and I'll take care of the rest." Irelia grinned, but Akali frowned, annoyed by Irelia's attitude.  
"What do you mean by 'like always'?"  
"I don't know! Be your reckless self, hit people when they piss you off..."  
"You're pissing me off right now."  
"That's exactly what I'm talking about and..."  
Akali shot her a look. "I'm going back to sleep.". She strode back to the camp, leaving Irelia alone in the night.

For two weeks, they walked, passing through several villages and cities where Soraka always insisted to stop in order to help sick or wounded people.  
"Maybe we should move a bit quicker." Irelia said one day, as they were about to leave their camp in the morning.  
"We've got time," Akali replied, "right?"  
"Yes we do," Soraka said. "as long as Warwick doesn't appear. I thought he would try to follow me, but I saw no sign of him."  
"We should get to Noxus tomorrow anyways," Akali added, "there's no need to rush."  
Although Irelia kept silent, her disagreement didn't go unnoticed. That evening Akali came back to the camp from a nearby river and when she got closer, Soraka's and Irelia's voices hit her ears. They were obviously arguing. She stopped to listen in.  
"...wait for you to get there. If he wants to get to you, he will. It's not because we can't see him that he's not around. He might even be hiding nearby, and nobody would know. I am sure he got all the time to catch up to us on our way to Noxus." Irelia's voice was loud, but she wasn't shouting. Not yet.  
"I know more about Warwick than you do, Irelia. What do you think? He's been harassing me for years. Always the same words, always the same moves. He doesn't think like a human anymore. If he were here, we'd know it, trust me."  
Akali wondered how Irelia was aware of Warwick's role. She suddenly remembered Soraka had mentioned him that day. She was actually surprised Irelia hadn't said anything about it.  
"I know, but still, I think..."  
"Irelia, why are you insisting on this? We set out terms before leaving the Institute, remember?" The implicit meaning of the question was clear: Irelia's part of the deal was not to put her nose in Soraka's business. A long silence followed. Akali didn't want to step in and went back to the river. She crouched on the shore, running her fingers in the stream and watching the moon's light shining on the water.

A noise coming from behind startled her. Her shoulders relaxed when she recognized Irelia.  
"Dammit, you scared me!" Akali cried out.  
"Since when?" Irelia retorted with a smirk. "As far as I know, you've always been the one showing up out of nowhere to freak me out."  
"Well, maybe the lack of action has made me less reactive."  
"What if it hadn't been me, but an enemy?"  
"What do you mean? Why are you so protective all of a sudden?"  
Irelia frowned "Protective?".  
"With me, with Soraka. You don't have to be our guardian twenty-four seven. I heard the end of your conversation, and I feel like you think you have to protect us all the time, and truth is, it's annoying. I'm pretty sure Soraka feels the same way. I'm sorry for being so direct, but I needed to let you know."  
Irelia's face remained cold and she eventually sighed "Maybe you're right." Although her words sounded sincere, it seemed like they had to force their way through. "I won't bother you again, I promise. Thanks for noticing me, and if I ever step over the line again, don't hesitate to put me in my place."  
Akali tried in vain to keep a serious look. She eventually gave up and a large mocking smile stretched on her face "It's fine, you're forgiven."  
When they got back to the camp, Irelia apologized to Soraka. The healer listened to her words respectfully and put a hand on her shoulder with a smile, saying it was all forgotten.


	8. Chapter 8

**Note: I would like to thank my beta reader Vievin for their awesome help and advice in order to make this story better.**

 **I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.**

 **Chapter 8**

When they finally reached Noxus, Akali let out a sigh. Although they wouldn't stay in the city for a long time, Noxus was among the most dangerous inhabited places in Valoran. Its streets were crowded with thieves and other criminals. They decided to enter Noxus in the morning so that they had a chance to catch a ship the very day. Neither of the three Ionians wished to stay in the city after twilight. Keeping a low profile, they walked through the streets where merchants were shouting about the virtues of their products. Sometimes one of them roared because they had been shoplifted, but Soraka, Akali and Irelia turned a deaf ear to the screams, preferring not to draw attention. They got to the docks a bit before noon and split up to find someone who could give them a ride to Ionia. Akali strode on the wooden planks above the salty water. The first person she talked to was a rude man who asked something else than money as a means of payment. The second one turned his back before she finished her first sentence. The third and the fourth one refused to leave that day.

Akali dragged her feet back to where she had parted with Soraka and Irelia, hoping they had been more successful. Irelia came back first, and Akali could tell by her furious face that her expedition had been a failure too. "What?" she barked at Akali who couldn't help smiling at her expression.

"Nothing. I guess your persuasion skills have failed you this time."

"They didn't fail me. It's just that everyone living here is either a coward or a jerk."

"I've reached the same conclusion. Hopefully Soraka will find the golden flower."

When the healer showed up later, she told them the exact same thing as Irelia. "I can't believe how selfish these people are!" Soraka growled "This place really is a lair full of fucking scums."

Akali ad an amused smile, as it was rare hearing Soraka curse. "So, now what?" the ninja asked.

"I guess we have no choice but spend the night here, unless a kind and normal person honors us with their presence." Irelia replied with a hint of sarcasm.

They found an empty inn on the docks. Although the place was dirty and dark, it was still better than spending the night downtown.

During the night, Akali suddenly woke up, feeling eyes on her. She saw Soraka, awake and staring at the window. When the healer noticed her, she signaled Akali to follow her outside the room. Moving in an absolute silence not to awake Irelia, Soraka and Akali got out.

"What is it?" Akali asked, rubbing her eyes.

"I feel something." Soraka replied, a worried look on her face "A soul in need."

Akali raised an eyebrow "You mean someone who's sick?"

"I cannot tell, but their despair is too strong for me to turn a blind eye. Would you mind coming with me?"

Akali shrugged before nodding positively. Outside, the docks were dead: not even a cat was to be seen. A zephyr blew some leaves away. In the dark, a cold shiver ran through Akali's spine. She glanced back and around, but saw nothing. A rubbing sound on the paved road caught her attention. She grabbed Soraka's arm, forcing her to halt. "What?" she asked in a whisper.

"I feel like we're being watched." Akali replied. For a long moment, they remained silent, not moving an inch. After scanning the whole area several times, two cats came out from behind a pile of boxes, angrily meowing at each other. Akali relaxed as the sound she had heard was that of their claws on the road. "Aren't you a bit edgy?" Soraka asked.

"I don't trust this place, that's all. We can go now, it was nothing."

They turned into a narrow road cut by several perpendicular alleys. Soraka stopped and turned to one of them. "It's in there." She said.

"Are you kidding me?" Akali whispered.

"It won't take long."

Akali hesitated between staying at the entrance of the alley and going with Soraka to make sure it was safe. She opted for the second choice, preferring to stick with the healer. There was a light at the end of the street, and, as they walked towards it, they heard a desperate whisper broken by cries. The voice was that of a man. When he appeared into the light, Soraka and Akali saw her was crouching and leaning on a body, pressing his hands on a bleeding wound. The victim was a woman whose blond hair had turned dark because of the mud. Four large gashes were visible on her abdomen. The man startled when he noticed the two women. Terrified at first, new tears appeared in his eyes "Please help me. A beast attacked her, and I can't stop the bleeding."

While Soraka put her hand on the woman's forehead, Akali crouched by the man to ask: "What happened?"

With a shaky voice, the man explained "We were going back home when a creature appeared in front of us. It was a monster, a wolf standing on two legs.".At this description, Akali's body tensed. Yet, she kept listening. "He chased us, toyed with us and forced us to come here. Then, he attacked her with his claws. He then laughed and ran away.". He loudly sniffed, gazing at Soraka.

"Did it say anything?" Akali asked.

The man raised his eyes "No, he just whispered something I couldn't understand and..." He stopped talking when Soraka rose up. The woman was still lying on the ground, blood streaming on her motionless chest. "I am truly sorry." Soraka said "The cuts were too deep and damaged the organs. I put her to sleep so she wouldn't suffer.". The man let out a scream of despair which echoed through the narrow street. Soraka put a compassionate hand on his shoulder. "Please leave me." he cried "I'm begging you. Leave me alone.".Akali was about to protest when a glare from Soraka stopped her. Although no tears streamed down her cheeks, the healer looked as hurt as the stranger. "Let's go." she said. Akali glanced one last time at the man holding the body of his beloved-one. As she had never experienced such a loss, she could not fully understand, but the sadness in the Starchild's eyes spoke louder than a thousand words.

While walking back to the inn in a complete silence, Akali broke the ice. "You did all you could back there, you know it."She almost added that it probably wasn't the first time it happened, but she held it for herself.

"I do, but I can't hide from the feelings of others when they are due to my failure." Soraka replied

"You didn't fail anything. What else could you have done? You're a gifted healer, not a goddess. You cannot rip people from Death's hands when their time has come. No one can."

"Maybe if I had sensed it sooner. I could've stopped the bleeding."

The ninja wondered if the healer felt the same way every time she could not a life. Soraka answered her silent question "Every time I heal someone, I take responsibility for their life. That they live or die is up to my success or failure. I feel like I didn't try everything, like I missed something.". Her pace slowed down. Akali turned to her and took her hand

"In all those years you have been working at the Institute as a healer, you have never failed, Soraka. Never once have you given up on someone in need. You fight with all your strengths to save a life which is not yours. You once told me the higher you fly, the harder you fall, but you opened a path in the air for those who cannot open their wings. It is time to open yours, and I swear, they will not let you down."

Soraka raised her eyes to stare at Akali. A tear appeared in her eye along with a smile on her face. "Thanks for believing in me. It is not always easy avoiding the blame, even in the Rift, but I shouldn't have let it consume me to this point."

"The blame in the Rift?" Akali frowned, as she had never felt the need to take it out on Soraka when battling together and getting defeated.

Soraka sighed "I don't think you can understand this.".


	9. Chapter 9

**_Note: Once again, I'd like to thank my beta reader, Vievin for proofreading my story. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter._**

 **Chapter 9**

When they got back to the inn, the place was dead silent. A cold wind invaded the common room as they opened the back door. Trying not to make a noise, they walked through the narrow corridor leading to the room. Akali's blood froze when she saw the door: the heavy wood had been lacerated and four claw marks were deeply encrusted in it. With a quick move, she opened the door, but the room was empty. After a quick search, Akali's pulse slowed down as there were neither signs of fighting nor blood, which meant Irelia had left on purpose. Where could she be?

"I think there are two possibilities" Soraka frowned in the dark. "Either Warwick came here and left the mark, awakening Irelia, and she went out looking for us, or she had already left when Warwick showed up. In either case, I think we should wait here until she comes back.". Akali decided to trust Soraka's judgment, for she was probably right. Moreover, she knew how strong Irelia was, and had no doubt she could easily defend herself. The ninja sat cross-legged on the bed and closed her eyes, trying to empty her mind of all stress, as she could not allow herself to be overcome by fear.

Irelia arrived about an hour later and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her two friends inside "I was looking for you."

"Where were you?" Soraka asked

"You left without a word. I woke up in the middle of the night and thought that something might have happened."

"Have you seen the marks on the door?" Akali asked before Soraka could explainwhat they had been up to in details.

"I just did. It looks like an animal did this. Do you think it might be Warwick?"

"That's what we're thinking." Soraka calmly replied. "When we were out, we saw a couple who had been assaulted by what they described as a wolf. Plus, one of the victims had the same marks on her body." Soraka lowered her eyes, and Akali understood that, even though she had tried to pull herself together, it was harder than she thought.

Irelia was smart enough not to ask questions in front of the healer. "We must leave now" She said.

"And go where?" Akali asked. "There's no boat, and unless you want to go downtown, there's nowhere we can go. Besides the sun is going to rise soon."

"You want to stay here knowing Warwick is around? He knows where we are, and he's been following us all the time since we left the Institute."

Maybe Irelia didn't mean it, but her words sounded like a reproach directed at Soraka who had claimed Warwick would not follow them this close.

"Maybe he knows where we are, but he's alone and we are three. Do you really think he can do anything." The ninja replied

"What makes you think he's alone?"

"Warwick is a lone hunter, it's well-known. He doesn't hunt when other people are around, and the people he attacked didn't say anything about an accomplice."

As Irelia was about to protest, Soraka cut her off "If you really want to leave this place, I know where we can go. I'm not sure you'll approve, though."

Irelia glanced at the door and said "Can't be worse than here where a psycho-killer monster is tracking us down. Where do you wanna go?"

"I'd rather not tell you. It's better for everyone."

Akali exchanged looks with Irelia before slowly nodding positively. She was not convinced at all.

Soraka seemed to know the city well as she made turns without hesitations, walking through streets Akali would have never thought of getting lost in. As they strode away from the docks, the houses looked more and more expensive. Soraka stopped in front of an abandoned building which contrasted with the rest of the neighborhood. The Starchild opened the unlocked door, making her way towards a hidden trapdoor. Where the heck was she taking them? They went down a staircase, followed a long corridor and reached a half-broken ladder on the opposite side. Once out, they were in a dark basement. Akali couldn't see a thing, and yet Soraka kept moving as though it was her own place. There was another door, up a narrow staircase. Soraka knocked hard, startling Akali and Irelia. She repeated her move five times, knocking harder each time. The door slightly opened, letting a thin ray of light come in. "What do you want?" a voice asked.

Akali's blood turned to ice when she recognized it. Why had Soraka brought them _here_? It was probably the mos hazardous place in Noxus.

"We just need to stay here for a few hours." Soraka replied with a soft voice. "Can you help us?"

"Who's with you?"

"Akali and Irelia."

A sarcastic laugh reached Akali's ears, and she felt her anger rocket.

"Very well." Katarina said after a short silence "Come in."

They followed the assassin and entered what seemed to be her living room. Her house was humble, which did not surprise Akali. Katarina nodded at a pile of chairs lying on the ground "Have a seat." The sarcasm and annoyance in her voice was all but concealed, and Akali shot her at sight.

"What brings you here?" the Noxian asked Soraka, completely ignoring Akali and Irelia.

"Personal issues. We're going to Ionia, but couldn't find a ship to get us there before dawn."

"What's your business in Ionia?"

"Why do you ask?" Akali curtly retorted.

Katarina gave her a look full of contempt "I usually like to know what my guests are up to. For security purposes."

"More to know how you can make profit out of it."

"Akali, can you please stop it?" Soraka replied, annoyed.

"You were well inspired to come here. Noxus is not a safe place, even in daylight."

Akali raised an eyebrow, wondering how ironic Katarina's sentence was.

"Anyways," Katarina carried on, "sunrise is in four hours. I expect you to be gone by then." She stood up and looked at the healer "You're lucky I owe you Soraka." She left the room without a look back.

"What does she mean she owes you?" Irelia asked Soraka.

"Long story short, I helped her when she was in a pretty uncomfortable situation."

"Why did you tell her about Ionia? Even if Warwick can't hear us, what will stop him from coming here and try to get the info from Katarina?"

"Only a fool would dare come here and face the Sinister Blade." Soraka replied. "Furthermore, I told you and she just repeated it: she is indebted to me."

"Oh come on!" Irelia retorted, trying to keep her voice low "She'll give us away if paid the right price."

"Unlike what you might be thinking, assassins have a strict code of honor. They might be vicious on the battlefield, but nobody can keep a secret better than an assassin who owes you."

"I don't know how you can believe such bullshit, but I guarantee that Katarina and Talon are all but trustworthy."

Soraka shrugged "Believe what you want. I trust my own judgment, and what's done is done. You can't erase your actions, only face the consequences." Her curt tone put an end to the discussion. They lied down on the floor, but Akali couldn't sleep, her head full of images of her defeat against Katarina.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Note: Thanks again to Vievin for correcting this chapter. I love you dear.  
Hope you'll enjoy it (:**_

 **Chapter 10**

After an hour of twisting and turning, Akali got up, unable to stay put any longer. She silently walked around the house. The furniture was covered with dust and most chairs were occupied by dirty clothes. Looking through the window, the ninja couldn't see anything but the dark wall of the neighboring house. There was a staircase which probably led to Katarina's room, and nothing could have convinced Akali to go up there. She instead entered another room which seemed to be the place where the assassin stored all her stuff. Trying not to step on anything Akali stopped in front of an old shelf. There were five wooden animals, sculpted and painted with dexterity. Certainly something Katarina had stolen from one of her victims. A piece of paper next to an eagle caught her attention. It was a rough doodle of a woman and seemed to have been made by a child.

A noise behind her back startled her. "Relax, it's me." the Sinister Blade calmly said.

"I'm not sure relaxing when you're around is a good idea." Akali replied, suspicious.

"I won't attack you tonight, if that's what you wanna hear. Killing guests under my own room would tarnish my reputation."

Without actually trusting her, Akali pointed at the shelf. "Did you steal all that?"

The assassin stepped closer and frowned at the sight of the pieces of wood "I made them myself when I was a kid, after my dad offered me my first knife." The innocence of her sentence was suddenly washed off by her last words. It was surprising that Katarina didn't mind Akali looking into her personal stuff.

"How abut this?" she asked, showing the drawing.

"My mom. I never got to meet her, so I tried to do my best with the descriptions I could extract from my father."

An uncomfortable silence followed which Katarina eventually broke "Why are you and Irelia going to Ionia with Soraka?"

"We're just ensuring she's safe, that's all." Akali replied before immediately regretting it.

"Safe? Safe from what?"

Akali cursed under her breath. "Nothing you need to know about." She stared into Katarina's green eyes. The latter replied with a firm voice. "If something is threatening her, I need to know."

"Why? You don't give a shit about her." Akali retorted, convinced that the glimmer of worry in the assassin's eyes was fake.

"It might surprise you, but I do give a shit about Soraka. You see, some people are respected everywhere, regardless of your political or ethical beliefs. Before you ask, I'll be honest with you, just this time. Soraka saved my life about a year ago when I got ambushed by Zed and his friend Syndra near the Institute. For a whole day I remained on the ground, gushing blood and unable to move. She somehow found me and saved me. This is why I have a debt to pay, and this is why she's probably the person I respect the most in the League, maybe even the only one. Now, if you don't mind, I'll go back to sleep. Feel free to search this freaking mess. I don't even know what I keep here anymore."

Katarina strode out while Akali remained in the room. She had never thought that a normal conversation with the Sinister Blade was possible. However, their little chat had convinced her that Katarina would keep silent if Warwick ever showed up. She could have read honesty within her eyes when she had talked about Soraka. The ninja went back to the living room and sat on the floor, trying to remember some old meditation techniques sh had learned years prior. She couldn't relax though, and resorted to waiting for the sun to rise. They left Katarina's lair a bit before dawn, as the sky started to lighten.

Back to the docks, they easily found one of the sailors they had spoken to the day before. The journey to Ionia by boat lasted two days. They paid the man in advance, and for two days they remained on the deck, watching the water splash the large hull of the ship. The crew were nice and curious, although respectful enough not to ask private questions about the purpose of their journey. During the trip, Akali couldn't help thinking about Warwick, and her companions' faces informed her that they were both worried about the Blood Hunter too. The signs of his presence in Noxus had been a surprise, as it proved that what they had expected from him was completely wrong. They only thing that managed to comfort Akali was the certitude that Warwick would not attack them if they stayed together. Once again, while she was leaning over to watch the water run on the side of the ship, she wondered about the wolf's intentions. In spite of her efforts to gather all she knew about how his past was linked with Soraka's, she remained clueless.

When the island of Ionia finally appeared in the horizon, Soraka waved at Akali while Irelia was speaking with the captain. "How do you feel about coming back here after all this time?" the Starchild asked.

"I don't really feel anything. I don't actually feel like I've been away for years. It seems to me that I just took a short vacation from this place."

"This is usually when that feeling appears that you know you can call this place 'home'. No matter how far you are, no matter for how long, as soon as you put you feet at home, you feel like you've been there the whole time."

"How about you?" Akali asked, staring at the shore lost in the thin mist. "Can you call this place home too?"

Soraka sighed "I don't think so. This place mainly belongs to my past, making me who I am now, and still, every time I see this shore, I want to turn back."

"You mean your past with Warwick?" Akali hadn't meant to be so direct, but she couldn't stand it anymore: she needed to know, even if she had to worm the information out of Soraka.

The latter winced. "Don't act like you're surprised, Soraka." Akali said. "I know you lied when you told me you didn't know what Warwick wanted! I didn't insist because I failed to realize how big of a threat he actually was to you."

Soraka stared at her for a moment before replying "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Irelia when she came to see me at the Institute: this is my own business. I don't want you to get involved any further in this and..."

Akali snapped her. "Whether you want it or not, Irelia and I are both involved in this now, and you can't change this situation."

"Have I ever asked you to come with me? As far as I can remember, you offered me your help without me asking for it."

"I did, and you accepted it. We already asked you about Warwick, and you kept telling you had no idea what he wants from you, but I'm sure you do know. You're smart, and I don't understand why you lied to me in the beginning. I mean, what did it..."

"Will you stop with this?" Soraka hissed in an unusual threatening voice. "What's wrong with you all of a sudden? Have you ever thought that maybe I want to keep my past for myself? What if I don't want to tell the truth?"

"Why would you want to hide it? What are you so afraid of? You seem more scared of talking about what happened in your past than being harassed by Warwick!"

"I'm done with this conversation, Akali. If you want answers, maybe you should find Warwick and ask him." She walked away, leaving Akali more astonished than ever. She felt like the real Soraka had gone, and she had been speaking to someone else. The cold and aggressive tone used by the healer sounded wrong. Akali thought about her last words and wondered what would happen if she actually tried to find Warwick to settle this once for all. In the Fields of Justice, Warwick was a ruthless and brutal opponent. He loved to toy with his targets, spreading death wherever he went, leaving nothing but torn corpses lying in rivers of blood. His formidable speed made him one of the most dangerous champions in the League, which seemed to please the summoners. Outside the Rift, however, he remained a complete mystery. Just like every champion, he was probably only playing a character in the Fields to hide his true personality, and therefore, his weaknesses. Akali knew the Blood Hunter had some affiliation with Singed, but couldn't say what type of relationship bounded the two of them. She probably had a chance of winning if she battled Warwick, as she was even quicker than him. On the plus side, the massive shape of the wolf made him a target easy to hit. The ship floated above a huge wave, reaching for the sky as the water carried it closer to the shore. Akali drove her thoughts away: she wouldn't fight Warwick alone. That was not what she was there for.

She heard footsteps behind her and felt Irelia's hand on her shoulder. "We're gonna reach the docks in five minutes."

Akali smiled, trying to hide her confusion and frustration about Soraka.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Note: I'd like to thank Vievin for, once again, proofreading this chapter. I hope you keep enjoying the story as much as I enjoy writing it :D**_

 **Chapter 11**

The main harbor in Ionia was only a day away from Yrioma, the Ionian capital city . Irelia paid the captain, and they left the crowded docks. As the road to Yrioma was quite frequented, Akali relaxed a bit, enjoying the enchanting surrounding landscapes. Around noon, they reached a junction where a large crowd had gathered. Wondering what was happening, they made their way through the mass. People were speaking anxiously, and the trio quickly understood why. The dirt on the road had turned red because of blood. Before their eyes, the scene was a real slaughter: at least ten bodies were lying on the ground, their flesh torn apart. Akali's blood turned to ice in her veins, as she perfectly knew who had done this. Soraka was staring at the corpses, her skin turning paler by the second. Irelia grabbed her arm, forcing her to follow her a bit further. Akali joined them short after. When they were far enough from the crowd, Irelia asked: "How could he have possibly gotten here before us? How can he exactly know where we're going?"

A dead silence followed, as neither Akali nor Soraka had the answer.

"We can't stay here any longer." Irelia added. "I hate the idea, but we should go back to the Institute. Warwick will expect us to go to Yrioma. If he can get here unnoticed, what prevents him from hiding within the capital?"

"The city is safer." Akali replied. "At least the district we're going to."

"Safe? Akali, wake up! With Warwick on the loose, nowhere is safe. Not in Ionia."

"What do you want us to do, then?" Soraka curtly asked. "We won't be any safer at the Institute, assuming we get back there alive."

"She's right." Akali said. "Between hiding here and hiding in the Institute, there's not much of a difference."

Irelia's voice got louder. "Don't you understand that Warwick expects us to go to the Capital? He's been ahead of us the whole time, and we underestimated him. We must..."

"No!" Soraka snapped her. "I won't turn back now. We need to stop Warwick before he kills more people, and to do so, we need to understand his purpose. You can go back to the Institute if you want, but I'm staying here."

Irelia frowned, clearly annoyed while Akali kept silent. After a moment, the ninja said: "If you decide to stay here, I'll stay here as well."

Irelia shot her a look.

"What do you choose to do, Irelia?" Akali asked.

The Will of the Blades's jaw contracted, as if she was trying to hold back her words. "You don't really give me a choice, do you? I vowed to protect Soraka, and I will not break my promise, even though I'm convinced this is a reckless idea."

"Fine, then we should keep going."

They reached the capital city that evening, after sunset. Despite all the citizens in the streets, Akali couldn't help glancing around, frowning every time she thought something was hiding in a parallel alley. As dark clouds were looming overhead, they booked a room in a small inn on the main street. A bit after midnight, the thunder woke up Akali with a startle. She saw Soraka standing by the window and wanted to get up, but Irelia, who was apparently awaken too, firmly grabbed her shoulder to stop her from bothering the Starchild. The ninja carefully looked at the healer's face: she seemed lost in her thoughts, her look frozen in a threatening look. A cold shiver ran down Akali's spine, for she had never seen such an emotion in Soraka's eyes.

They headed to the library the next morning. The huge building was located inside the university campus and was the most thorough library on the island. Akali and Irelia had decided to let Soraka conduct her research alone, as they had little interest in spending hours in a library. The cloudy sky had given way to a bright and warm sun. Akali walked along the buildings of the university, making her way among hundreds of students. Irelia and she got to a small fountain and sat down. Akali fiddled with grass, lost in her thoughts.

"Don't you think she's acting different?" Irelia suddenly asked. Although she had dropped the question out of nowhere, Akali knew she was talking about Soraka.

"She is, but I think it is a way for her to stand the pressure."

"I mean her overall behavior has changed, including her attitude towards others."

Akali bent her knees and wrapped her arms around them. "She's been through a lot. I'm not here to judge. Besides, I'm not sure we nor anyone in the institute really know Soraka. She's always been a mystery."

"Aren't you curious?" Irelia asked.

"Curious? About what?" Akali had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going.

"About her. About her past and everything."

A red squirrel climbed up a tree in front of them. Akali waited until it disappeared to answer. "Yes I am. I'm not gonna lie: I want to know about this whole thing between her and Warwick. She doesn't want us to know, though. I tried to ask her, but she's avoiding the topic."

Irelia had a half-smile, the expression she usually had when she had a plan –usually not a good one- in mind.

"What?" the ninja asked her.

"I thought we can try to find out. You know, while she's busy in the library."

Akali kept silent, and Irelia carried on "When someone wishes to join the League, they create a record with all their personal information."

"Those records are the propriety of the Institute of War. We don't have any access to them."

"That's where you are wrong. I once talked with a Game Master about all that. I wanted to know if I could read my own record if I wanted to. He told me that they just kept a copy at the Institute and that the original document was sent to the champion's original location, as long as there's a way for them to keep those documents safe."

"So you mean all our records, including Soraka's are here in Ionia?"

"Yes, and I'm sure they are in Yrioma, as it is the administrative heart of the Island. We just need to find the..."

"Hold on." Akali cut her off. "I'm pretty sure we're not allowed to read other champion's records."

"I didn't expect this to stop you."

"It won't, but how can we find the place where the documents are without being suspicious?"

"We'll just go to the administration center downtown and we'll ask to have a look at our own records. Then we'll improvise."

After a short silence, Akali replied with a predator smile "I like that messed up plan."

As they stood up, Irelia said: "Don't worry about Soraka. I don't think Warwick will come here. He could follow us in Nexus, because we moved away from the center, but this place is one of the most crowded in the city. Besides, it's protected with magic and guards every other meter."

Akali nodded: although she was not convinced at all, she felt like they needed to know more in order to be more efficient in helping Soraka.

When they got to the administration center, they were asked to leave their weapons at the entrance. Despite their reluctance, they agreed, and entered the building. After a ten-minute wait, they were called in an office. Akali couldn't help smiling, as she saw Irelia try to hide her face. She probably didn't want to be recognized. Although she had changed and tried to look like an average Ionian citizen since she led the defense of Ionia against Noxus years prior, some people were still staring at her a bit too intensively. Once in the office, Irelia retrieved her confident look. An old man was sitting behind a desk. His head could barely be seen behind the piles of documents.

"How may I help you, ladies?" he asked.

"We are champions from the League of Legends, and we would like to check our records." Irelia answered.

The man didn't seem impressed, and looked more annoyed than anything else. He sighed "May I know your names?"

"Irelia and Akali."

"I will need to verify your identities before I let you in the records room. Follow me."

They walked behind him. He was surprisingly fast for a man of his age. He led them to an underground room filled with unknown devices. He grabbed a kind of needle and turned towards them. "If you remember, we used the same device when you enrolled in the League. We injected you with a small amount of magic containing information about your identity. This will allow me to retrieve this information and be sure you're telling me the truth." While saying this, he was glaring at Irelia, as if he couldn't believe she was actually standing in front of him. She rolled her sleeve and he pressed the needle against her skin. The tip glowed blue, and the man's eyes turned the same color: he was using magic. When his eyes turned back to brown, he smiled "I welcome you Lady Irelia. It is a pleasure and a great honor for me to let you consult your record. Now your friend."

He repeated the process and said "Akali, this Fist of Shadow. I heard that your reputation within the League of legends has quite suffered these last few weeks."

Akali frowned, annoyed by this man's lack of tact. "This is why I decided to take some vacation from the League." she replied.

"Yes, perhaps seeing your record will awaken some lost memory about your motivation to join the League."

"Perhaps it will also tell me why I'm wasting my time talking to you." Akali said, as a lust of punching this guy ran through her whole body. She noticed Irelia's smirk, which only annoyed her more.

They followed the old man through a maze of corridors lightened by small stones which produced a bright light. The air was cooler, and Akali felt a shiver run through her spine as they reached a small door. The man used four different keys to unlock it. The room had a circular shape, and was full of shelves. On each one of them was a glass box containing paper. They walked further, until they got to a glass box which looked like all the others. The man turned to Akali "Here's your record. To open it, put your hand on the glass." Without a word, he left. Irelia gave Akli a light smile and followed him. Akali hesitated: she did not want to look at this record. This was not why they had come here. On the other hand, the pile of paper was impressive, and she had no memory of giving this much information when she had enrolled in the League. Did they keep a trace of every match? This thought erased what was left of her curiosity, as her latest mach still haunted her. She decided to wait for Irelia, sure she would meet her as soon as the old guy left. While looking around, Akali wondered how many secrets were kept in this room.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Note: Again, again and again, I love you Vievin for proofreading this chapter. I hope you guys will enjoy it :)**_

 **Chapter 12**

Five minutes later, Irelia appeared behind the shelf.

"He's gone." She said. "I don't know how much time we have, but I don't think we should linger here. Let's find Soraka's files."

"How are we gonna know where her record is?" Akali whispered.

"I asked the old man a few questions, and he told me that all the records about the League of Legends were in this part of the room. The only problem is that all the shelves seem to be the same."

"The other problem is that we can't open them."

"Aren't you the queen of lock picking?"

"Those things are sealed by magic, Irelia. I can't do anything about it."

"I'm disappointed." Irelia replied with a mocking expression on her face.

"Yeah, I've been a big let down for a while." Akali said with a sarcastic voice. "We should go."

They walked between the shelves, meticulously examining each one of them. While Akali was leaning over one of them, Irelia called her out. She joined her.

"Look. I think I found something." Irelia said. She pointed at a golden line running through the glass and wrapping the box. Akali didn't understand, as all boxes displayed the same line. "Touch it." Irelia added.

Akali ran her finger on the line and felt an unexpected relief. This one seemed to be made of tiny flowers. The design was impossible to see and required a physical contact to be noticed.

"What do you think about this one?" she asked Irelia

"It must be Jhin's. I think these lines display something unique to the champion, so that the employees here know which box is for which champion, which means they can access the documents inside without the champion's presence."

"If they don't need magic to open them and have to use a key, I can probably crack the lock." Akali commented

"Probably?"

"Stop this, will you, and help me find Soraka's box." the ninja retorted, annoyed.

They split in order to find it faster. They eventually found the golden line displaying crescent moons which looked like the tip of Soraka's weapon. After scrutinizing the box, they discovered a small hole at the bottom. Akali had to lie on her stomach to see what she was doing. She had expected the lock to be hard to crack, but she managed to open it in two minutes. Irelia lift the lid and put it on the ground. There were several piles of paper which seemed to be very organized: one file for the matches, one for the administrative information and a small one which had to be the enrollment record. Akali seized the file it and started reading. The first page contained some general information about Soraka. The next page was a long text, and Akali had no doubt it was what they were looking for. Irelia was glancing back every five seconds.

"So, what does it say?" she asked impatiently.

"Hold on." Akali replied. As she kept reading Soraka's background, her eyes widened. She had never suspected that anything like this could have happened to the healer. Irelia shook her shoulder

"We should go! I don't want people to catch us here."

"Wait. Let me finish."

"What? You're not done yet? Just skip to the part about Warwick!"

Since Akali didn't react, keeping her eyes on the paper, Irelia tore it from her hands, folded it and put it in her sleeve. "You'll read the rest later. We gotta go now."

They replaced the lid and walked out, pretending to be done with their own business. They walked past the old man who barely looked away from the book he was reading.

They got out of the building, and Irelia said "Let's go back to the library." They reached it a bit later, as the sun was slowly going down, coloring the buildings with its golden rays. They sat on a tree's root, and Irelia pulled the paper out of her sleeve. As she read it, her face remained emotionless, but Akali could see her jaw tense. When she was done, she looked at Akali "Hard to believe."

The ninja took the paper from her hands "I wasn't finished reading in case you didn't notice." She quickly got to the bottom of the text. Basically, as a human, Warwick had been hunting down Soraka to rip her heart out of her chest. The document lacked information about his purpose, though. He had tried to do it by force, fooling and almost killing the Starchild. She had managed to escape and had cursed Warwick as a means of punishment. In her record, Soraka had said that fighting in the League of Legends was a way to overcome the humiliation of her past.

"At least now, we know what we have to deal with." Irelia commented.

"There is something I don't understand:" Akali replied "why has Warwick been harassing Soraka? I mean, he could just attack her by surprise, just like he did the first time. What's stopping him?"

"Maybe the curse." Irelia shrugged. "She must have done something to him which affects his behavior."

"You mean, a way of controlling him?"

"I'm not sure 'control' is the right term. Anyways, there is one thing we are sure about: Warwick needs Soraka's heart and, although his purpose remains unknown, he is unable to kill her in order to achieve it."

"So what do we do now?" Akali asked.

"I wonder what Soraka's business here is. She came to this library with a goal in mind. Got any idea what it might be?"

The ninja replied after a minute of reflection "She's probably looking for something to defend herself. Maybe a spell or something which could protect her from Warwick."

"That's not very helpful." Irelia said with a sarcastic voice

Akali shot her a look. "I'd like to hear your theories."

"I don't know. Calm down. Our main mission is to watch over Soraka while she solves her problems."

They watched the students walk past them, as their classes were over. Most of them were young adults moving in groups and talking about where they could hang out in the evening. The sky became dark, as the last rays of light disappeared behind the buildings. A male student with short blond hair strode past them, and she watched his stretched and almost invisible shadow slide on the ground behind him.

Akali eventually stood up, pacing up and down "Why is it taking so long?"

"If she reads at the same pace as you, she'll be locked in there for days."

"Irelia, I'm serious."

Irelia jumped up he feet as well and said "Alright, let's get her."

They entered the library, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the huge hall. The place was made of white stone and a fresh breeze blew on their faces. They walked to the secretary and asked the man where Soraka was.

"She left about one hour ago."

"What?" Akali and Irelia asked at the same time. "Did she say anything?"

"No, I saw her stride out without a word."

Irelia swore out loud, drawing attention on her and receiving an offended look from an old woman in a corner.

They went out, feeling confused. They had no clue about where Soraka had gone.

"Why the fuck would she leave like this?" Akali asked.

"Easy. Maybe she just went back to the inn."

Although Akali remained quiet, she couldn't help feeling something was completely wrong. Soraka's behavior had changed, and she might have done something reckless. They walked back to the inn, and as they were moving through the streets, Yrioma looked more and more threatening to Akali. She doubted the healer was at the inn and was therefore astonished when they opened the door to their room: Soraka was sitting at the desk, engrossed into the pages of a book.

"Hey guys." she said. Her innocent tone irritated Akali who decided however not to show her bad mood.

"We thought you were still at the library." Irelia replied "What's that book about?"

"Some magic stuff." Soraka said evasively.

Irelia glanced at Akali who couldn't help rolling her eyes to the sky. Irelia leaned over Soraka's shoulder while Akali sat on the bed. She was tired of trying to extract information from the healer and had decided to let Irelia take care of it.

"What language is this?" the latter asked. "I can't read it."

"This is the Ionian language used to cast spells and incantations. Karma uses it quite often."

"And what kind of spells are you reading about?"

Soraka raised her head, gazing into Irelia's eyes. "Why do you want to know?"

"If it is related Warwick, I think Akali and I have the right to know what is going on."

"I'm trying to find a way to keep him away from me forever." Soraka said with a curt voice.

"And have you found anything?"

"Not yet." Soraka suddenly closed the book and stood up, scraping the chair on the floor. Akali startled and carefully listen to the discussion between the healer and Irelia, certain that shit was about to hit the fan. Irelia's behavior had become more provocative, which meant she was getting tired of Soraka's attitude. As the latter was making for the door, Irelia stepped in front of her, blocking the way.

"Is there a problem, Soraka?" she asked. "You've been acting weird for the last few days. If there is something wrong, why don't you tell us?"

"Why don't you leave me alone? I know what I'm doing." Despite her confident tone, she was averting eye contact, preferring to stare at the book on the desk. Irelia grabbed it and asked:

"What's in there?"

"Ju..." Soraka's sentence was interrupter by a loud noise coming from downstairs, as if people were fighting. A scream of pain echoed, and Soraka grabbed her staff and darted forward, shoving Irelia to get out.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Note: I aplogize if this chapter came out late. I have been pretty busy with uni work. I want to thank Vievin for proofreading my text :D**_

 _ **I hope you'll enjoy the chapter.**_

 **Chapter 13**

Akali and Irelia ran after Soraka, following her downstairs. They froze when they saw the slaughter: the bodies of the innkeeper and what had to be three customers were lying in crimson puddles. Four claw marks were clearly carved on the counter. Soraka tightened her grip on her staff, but her face remained expressionless. Akali ran out of the inn, there were blood marks on the ground which were almost invisible because of the dark. Akali followed them, curious to see where they were leading. Her heartbeat skyrocketed when she glimpsed a body against a wall. Its heart had been ripped off its chest and put in its right hand. This was definitely a message for Soraka. The face of the victim, a male teenager, was fixed in an expression of pure terror and pain. Akali's anger rose, as she was staring at the macabre spectacle. A noise on her left caught her attention. Without thinking, she ran into that direction. If Warwick was still there, she would deal with him now. Running into a dark and narrow street, she noticed a tuft stuck on a windowsill, which meant the wolf had tried to climb up to the roof. She did the same thing, using her agility to climb up in no time. As quiet as a cat, she reached the chimney to have a better view. After a minute of scanning the area, she saw him He was standing on another roof, a bit further and seemed to be looking at her. The ninja dashed in his direction, determined not to let him escape.

When she reached the other roof, the Blood Hunter was still there, gazing at her. His red eyes displayed content and his body looked relaxed.

"I was expecting Irelia, but you'll be as good as her to send my message to the healer." he growled.

"I think you've done enough harm. I'm not here to play messengers."

"No, you are here because you believe you can stop me. I've been watching you, Soraka and Irelia for weeks now. I have studied your behaviors and pathetic arguments. I know you want answers, and I will provide you with anything you wish to know. All you have to do is ask."

"If you think I'm gonna let you buy time and try to turn me against Soraka, you haven't been watching very carefully. I guess gently asking you to give up on your goal would be too easy."

Warwick snickered "It would indeed. Now, listen to me, Fist of Shadows, I was once human, and your friend turned me into this monster. To return to my original form, I need the heart of a celestial being."

"If she actually did this, she must have had a good reason." Akali replied. Despite all her distrust, her curiosity was gaining ground: few people knew about Warwick's past and she wondered if there was a part of truth in his words. "You already tried to kill her in the past, and she cursed you."

Warwick frowned and snarled "She corrupted my mind, dragging me into darkness. She made me even more monstrous than before. She is not the angle she claims to be, and I think you suspect it. Tell me now: has her behavior changed on your way to Ionia?"

Akali kept silent: Warwick was right, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of telling him. The wolf had a sarcastic laugh.

"That's what I thought." he carried on. "She is obsessed with keeping me away from her, that's what she told you, but here is her true purpose: she wishes to destroy me without giving me a chance to fight back. She's resorting to dark magic, and all her healing spells are just a cover. A dark power lies within the pages of the book she took from the library."

Akali's blood turned to ice in her veins as she heard those words. How could Warwick know all the details?

"Since I don't have the opportunity to fight her directly, I tried to affect her in another way, which is why I butchered all those innocent people. You might have noticed how indifferent Soraka has become at the sight of a soul in pain. I didn't think she would reveal herself this quickly."

Akali took a step forward, determined not to listen to Warwick's nonsense even if a part of her could not remain deaf to his words.

"What are you going to do now?" the Blood Hunter asked, straightening his back.

"Isn't it obvious?" Akali replied with a dead-cold voice.

She lunged at the wolf, moving behind his back before he could even widen his eyes in surprise. She kicked his leg hard enough to hear a cracking sound. She then jumped aside, putting some distance between them. The only weapons she was carrying were her throwing knives. Warwick roared in pain and turned his head to her, an expression of pure insanity in his face. He did not seem to be willing to move, though, maybe because of his injured leg. Akali dashed at him once again, a knife in her hand. She threw it at Warwick's face, aiming for his eye. Th wolf crouched and propelled himself forward despite his broken leg. Akali rolled aside, kicking him in the face in passing. As she stood up, she felt a burning pain in her flank and saw that her tunic was turning red. She had to finish this quickly. Warwick turned around and attacked, trying to reach her with his huge claws. Akali ducked, and he had to stand on his four legs in order to keep his balance. She seized the opportunity to deeply stab his hand with a knife. Without even a wince, Warwick pulled the weapon out of his flesh and swung his claws at the ninja who was too slow to react. Her opponent lacerated her body, tearing her flesh from the collarbone to her ribs. She doubled up, trying to back off, but he was already next to her. He grabbed her by the neck, indifferent to her squirming. He dragged her to the edge of the roof and stared at her in the eye.

"I think you'll be the perfect messenger." He said before tossing her off the roof.

While falling, Akali tried to find a grip on the wall, scratching her hands on the rough stone. Her fingers gripped a window sill but let go because of the fall speed. It softened her landing nonetheless. She rolled on the ground and remained lying there until her vision became clear again. She stood up, and pressing her hands against her wounds, she limped towards the inn. The street was empty, and she heard Irelia's voice screaming before even opening the inn's door. When she entered the room, she saw that the corpses had been moved away. Irelia and Soraka were glaring at each other. They interrupted their argument when they heard Akali. The anger in Irelia's eyes immediately disappeared when she laid eyes on her.

"Oh my God! What happened to you?" she asked, helping the ninja to a chair.

"I found Warwick." Akali replied with a hoarse voice. Soraka came closer and squinted.

"Why did you do this? You know how dangerous he is. He killed four people by the time we came downstairs."

Akali glanced at her face: she displayed a look of disapproval. Her attitude shocked the ninja, as the Soraka she knew would have jumped to her side to heal her. Despite herself, Warwick's words sprang to her mind. Although she wouldn't believe it, she had to admit he was right.

"Soraka, maybe you should help her instead of asking questions." Irelia curtly said. "Save it for later."

The healer shot her at sight before kneeling next to Akali. Holding her staff, a light appeared in her hands, passing through her staff and lightening it with glowing veins. The ninja noticed that it was not as bright as it used to be. When it disappeared, a rough and burning scar remained on her skin. Irelia stared at Soraka who was standing up, but a glance from Akali stopped her from saying anything.

"Thank you." the latter told Soraka who put her staff on the counter, ignoring her.

An uncomfortable silence followed. "I don't think we should report this to the authorities" Soraka said.

"What?" Irelia replied with an outraged voice. "A slaughter took place here, and you want us to turn a blind eye? How can you even think about it?"

"Calling the guards would only get us in trouble, and I have no time to waste. I already told you, I want to get this over with as soon as possible."

Irelia gave her a dark look and seemed to be holding back from punching the healer in the face. "Do what you want, but I'm calling the guards. I can't follow you in this anymore Soraka. You're losing your mind and you're only the shadow of who you used to be. I'll do you one last favor and I will not mention you, but I am done with this. I'm breaking my deal with you." she then turned to Akali. "What do you want to do?"

Her answer was immediate and firm: although she shared Irelia's opinion, she could not leave Soraka alone, especially after what Warwick had said was coming out as the truth. She felt that, if left on her own, Soraka would lose herself forever. Maybe putting an end to this situation with Warwick would bring back the kind and thoughtful Soraka.

"I'm staying with Soraka." she said. She went outside with Irelia.

"Please, take care of yourself first." the Will of the Blades told Akali.

"I'm more worried about Soraka. You are right in everything you said, but I cannot leave her like this."

Irelia had a concerned smile. "Don't worry. I know it. I've always trusted you to make the right choices. I hope you can protect her more than I did."

Akali grinned back. "I'll try. I wish you all the best and I'll see you later. Take care."

"See you, sis."

Akali watched Irelia walk away and fade into the darkness of the night.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Note: Thank you again, dear beta reader, for your wonderful work!**_

 _ **I've been pretty busy with uni work, but I'll find more time to write the end of the story. Keep hanging around, the end is near!**_

 **Chapter 14**

When she got back inside, Soraka came down the staircase, carrying her bag and Akali's weapons. "Don't forget them next time." she curtly said as she handed them to the ninja who remained silent. She followed the healer outside and asked where they were going.

"There is a temple, far from the city. I would like to check it out."

"A temple? What for?"

"It is known to increase magic ability, and it might help me create the spell to keep Warwick away."

"Create a spell? You can do that?" Akali asked before remembering the curse Soraka had cast on Warwick: she had probably created the spell as well.

"Creating a spell is a very hard process, but not impossible if given the power to do so."

"How about the effects of this spell? Will it harm Warwick?"

Soraka stopped and turned around, giving Akali a dark look. "Why do you care about this? Do you think Warwick has remorse about harming you?"

Akali hesitated: if she let her anger out and spoke her mind, Soraka might fire her, which was the last thing she wanted. She therefore decided to leave her opinion in a corner of her mind and replied on the same tone: "I was just asking. Sorry."

Soraka's face softened as she said: "It's alright. I shouldn't have said that." For a short moment, Akali felt like Soraka was back to normal, but this impression disappeared as soon as they left the district: the healer's eyes were empty, looking ahead in a threatening way, but her mind was lost elsewhere.

Soraka seemed to know her way: after they left the city, they headed northwards for days until they reached a forest Akali had never been in before. Most of the trees were half-dead, probably burnt during a fire, and a feeling of cold and danger loomed over the whole place.

"What's wrong with this forest?" Akali asked running her fingers on a black trunk.

"This place has been like this for years. Some say a magical explosion caused the trees to burn and turned all the animals to ash. Some trees have survived by drawing energy from the ground, where magical residues are still buried. I read that, wandering here at night, you can see the trunks of these trees covered in blue veins."

"Is your temple here?" A white bird landed on a branch, its immaculate feathers contrasting with the surrounding darkness. The animal curiously stared at Soraka and Akali, but didn't move as they walked by it. Akali noticed with a shiver that its eyes were red and that there was blood around its beck. The healer didn't even seem to notice the bird and answered:

"Yes it is. We'll reach it soon."

"You seem confident. How do you know its exact location?"

Soraka sighed, annoyed and opened her bag, pulling out the book Akali had seen in the room.

"I thought you had found nothing in there." she blinked.

"I might have. I was not sure, and that's why I didn't say anything."

"Why won't you admit you've been lying all this time?" Akali replied. She could barely contain her annoyance and frustration anymore. "I have supported you so far, but I can't carry on if you keep lying and hiding your business like this."

The had stopped next to a small pound surrounded by a curious mist. All the trees around the water were dead and half-collapsed.

"You can leave now if you want." Soraka's reply was a mere whisper, but it turned Akali's blood to lava inside her veins.

"Leave? You're dumping me because you don't need me anymore, right? What the fuck is wrong with you! I followed you instead of Irelia because I thought there was still something worth saving in you. Since we left the Institute, you've been corrupted by the weight of your past that you keep for yourself. It's been dragging you down, and I noticed it. I tried to help, but you have remained stuck in your ideas, determined to achieve your goal. You're convinced you'll be able to keep Warwick away by using dark magic while the true danger comes from yourself."

Soraka was furiously gazing at her, but she kept silent. Akali carried on:

"If you want me to leave, I will, but I'm taking you with me. You've harmed yourself enough already..."

"Giving up now? Are you kidding me? I haven't traveled for weeks to stop right now just because you're telling me to. If you're afraid of what comes next, don't stay here. Maybe you should've gone with Irelia. You don't seem to realize what this place means to me. It's the only..."

Akali snapped her, shouting louder. "Stop bullshitting, Soraka. I know this is the place where you cursed Warwick. This is why the forest is like this. You are the one responsible for the explosion you told me about. I read your record, and I know what you're desperately trying to hide."

A spark ignited in the healer's eyes and her fingers tightened on her staff. Akali moved close and reached for the book, tearing it from her hands. Soraka tried to stop her, bu the ninja was too quick.

"What are you gonna do with this?" Akali asked. "Find some new curse? Do you know how much of a toll it takes on you? I have watched the Soraka I knew and admired fade away, her soul getting devoured by fear. She would have never turned to dark magic. You need to stop this."

The white bird reappeared and let out an endless song, as if it was crying for what had happened to its forest. It was the only sound in the heavy silence following Akali's words. A white bolt coming from Soraka's staff struck the animal, silencing it. Akali watched the white shape fall on the blackened ground.

"Akali," Soraka said "this is my last warning: give me back the book and leave this place."

"Like hell I will!" Akali twisted to the pound and threw the book into the water. She then turned back to Soraka, shooting her at sight. The Starchild's face remained expressionless. Akali tried one last time:

"Come with me. We will find another solution. A better one."

An excruciating pain suddenly tore her abdomen apart, as though her wounds had reopened. She doubled up as fresh blood appeared on her tunic. Akali looked up at Soraka who walked closer and said "I already have a better solution. Please don't try to follow me." Confusion appeared in the ninja's eyes: her voice was devoid of anger and sounded like a supplication. Before she could react, Soraka swung her staff, striking her head and knocking her out.

When Akali opened her eyes, the night was growing dark. She tried to move, and the pain came back at full speed. After cursing under her breath, she managed to get up on shaky legs. A noise and a heavy breathing behind her back startled her.

"I warned you about the Starchild, but you decided to remain blind to the obvious."

Akali didn't dare move. The giant wolf was right behind her back, and she could feel his stinky breath on her neck. If he attacked, she couldn't do anything.

"You warned me about someone who's not Soraka. This is not her, but something which took over her mind."

Warwick walked around and stopped in front of her, his red eyes glowing in the fading light. He did not seem to understand, and his overall behavior was not threatening. Akali noticed something different in him: his fur was messy and stuck together by blood. He looked old, like an old wolf that had been neglected by its pack. When he spoke, some teeth were missing inside his mouth.

"You know what she did to this forest. You know what she did to me, and now look what she did to you. How can you still be on her side?"

"Why are you talking to me right now? You could end this easily."

"I wish not to kill you, Fist of Shadows. My prey is Soraka." He had a savage smile. "Besides, what's the point of killing a defenseless being?"

"You did it when you killed all those innocent people."

"They were weak and did not matter. Their deaths served my purpose. I have been tracking Soraka from the capital city. I more or less expected her to come back here, since her chances of defeating me are greater here." The wolf looked around and frowned when he saw the bird. He moved towards it and gently picked it up. When he came back to Akali who hadn't made a move, he showed the animal. "What do you think about this bird?"

The question took Akali by surprise. What was Warwick's game? After a moment of reflexion, she asked him the same thing. The Blood Hunter looked down at the white feathers, petting the dead bird with his claws. Akali was sure about one thing: Warwick was intelligent. He wore the mask of a brainless hunter driven by a thirst for blood and massacre in the Rift, but he was way more. For the first time, Akali wondered what he could have been like as a human.

"This place was once a wonderful forest where thousands of birds like this one used to live in harmony with other creatures. This bird has probably been affected by magic, surviving through unnatural ways." Once again, Warwick looked around, losing his gaze into the darkness of the dead trunks. "When I see this bird, I see myself. A strong will to survive in a hostile world willing to destroy me. It seems that we share the same destiny, as we have both crossed Soraka's path."

"You still want to kill her, right?"

"If you had been turned into a monster like me, wouldn't you want to become human again?"

"Yes, probably. Are you sure there is no other way?"

"I am old, Akali. I've had enough time to roam this earth, and there is no cure but this one. Maybe you can help me and help your friend at the same time."

"What? How?"

"I told you she cursed me in this place, and she plans to do it again. Years ago, she cast a spell which triggers a sharp pain whenever I get too close to her. The effects of the spell are slowly fading, but I cannot wait any longer. I..."

"What did you mean by 'helping her'"? Akali snapped at him. She was getting tired of his sweet words. Even though Warwick was acting nice, she would never trust him. She slowly took a step back.

"There is a way for you to free her from the dark power which has consumed her. All you..."

The wolf's ears twisted, as if he had heard a noise. His chops rolled up as he growled: "Do not trust her, Fist of Shadows." He then darted away, his heavy claws silently lacerating the ground.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Note: Once again, I'd like to thank my dear Vievin for prrofreading my text.  
I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. We're getting close to the end**_

 **Chapter 15**

Akali looked around, wondering what could have had alerted Warwick. Blood was slowly dripping on the ground, and a buzzing sound echoed in her head. She felt, more than she heard, something move behind her. A figure appeared in her field of vision.

"What the fuck happened to you?" a familiar voice asked

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she replied on the same tone. Her voice broke at the end of her question, though.

"I'm tracking Warwick who's tracking you and Soraka. Or should I say 'who's tracking Soraka' now that you're out of the run. Warwick got you well, it seems."

"It wasn't Warwick."

"I can see his tracks on the ground." the assassin frowned.

"Listen to me." Akali ordered, retrieving a strong voice. "It don't know what happened to her, but Soraka is using dark magic, and it's completely consumed her. Her fear of Warwick and anger have dragged her to this extreme. She's become violent and doesn't give a shit about anything else but herself."

"So you mean to tell me _she_ did this to you?" Katarina said, astonishment displayed on her face.

"More or less. She apparently has the power to reopen the wounds she healed before. She took a dangerous book containing dark magic and intends to use the power lying in this place to cast a spell on Warwick. I can't imagine the consequences if she manages to do it. I took the book from her and tossed it in the pound there."

Katarina walked towards the water, Akali on her heels. She leaned over and after a minute she said: "I can't see it. There is no book in there."

Akali swore out loud. Soraka had probably retrieved the book from the pound.

"Where is she now?" Katarina asked. "And how did Warwick run past you without killing you?"

"There is a temple in the area. Soraka is headed there. Maybe she's already there. Warwick moves faster than her and I'm afraid he might have caught up to her."

Katarina let out some words Akali wished she hadn't heard. After an uncomfortable silence, the assassin said: "You haven't answered my second question."

The lie came out of Akali's mouth before she could hold it back: "Soraka knocked me out. Warwick probably saw me on the ground and ignored me, or he thought I was no longer a threat."

Katarina glanced at Akali. "I'll go after them. I'll get back to you when it's all over."

"Are you kidding me? There is no way I'll let you go there on your own."

"You are useless like this. I can deal with Warwick and stop this." the assassin sighed.

"Warwick is not the main problem. Soraka is. Don't you understand this?"

"I'll find a way. Stay here."

Akali took a step forward, ignoring her pain. "No. I'll follow you."

An expression of annoyance ran through Katarina's eyes when she replied: "Don't slow me down." Akali picked up her weapons and followed her, trying to keep up the pace.

About an hour later, while the ninja thought she could no longer stand Katarina's speed, an old and half-collapsed temple appeared in their field of vision. Part of the roof had been destroyed, and the cracked stone was covered in dust. The troubling silence was disturbed only by their footsteps. The place seemed to be empty. Katarina entered the temple and looked around. Akali came in behind her. The main hall was full of dust particles. There was a staircase leading underground on the right. The assassin strode towards it, leaving Akali behind. The latter suddenly stopped: a breath sound in the dark had caught her attention. The breath was hoarse and panting. She headed towards the dark corner, her body tensed. The breathing accelerated as she walked closer. Crouched against the wall, Warwick's figure was barely visible. He turned his red eyes to Akali and said with a painful voice:

"You are too late to save her. There is nothing you can do now."

Keeping her distances, Akali replied: "What happened?"

"She has cast her spell against me, and in the process, she has been consumed by its power."

Akali's pulse accelerated. "Where is Soraka now?"

"Down there. Don't try to approach her. There is no Soraka anymore. Consider her gone."

"What kind of spell did she cast on you"

"I cannot come close to her. She recast her last spell, but took it to another level. The closer I get, the more it hurts. I know any physical contact with the Starchild will kill me."

A cold wind blew away the dust on Warwick's fur. The latter shivered.

"Why are you staying here?" Akali asked. "Don't tell me you still want her heart."

Warwick snickered. "I don't think her heart will be of any use anymore. It has been corrupted. I have to stay here because of her spell. I only told you about the first part. She created a bond between me and her. I cannot approach her, nor move away. My fate will be the same if I go away from her." He caught his breath before spitting: "She did this out of pure cruelty. You should run away and leave Ionia if you don't want to suffer the same curse."

Akali kept silent, observing the wolf: she had never seen him this defenseless. She turned around, her jaw tensed, as Warwick's words took over her mind. She knew he was not lying: Soraka was gone. As this thought dawned on her, she drove it away. She could not leave this place without at least trying one last time.

Breathing deeply and trying to ignore her pain, she went down the stairs. She walked through a narrow and dark corridor. When a small ray of light appeared in the darkness, she heard a cry. Moving faster, she reached a large room lightened by blue gems incrusted in the walls. In the center of the room, next to what had to be an altar was Soraka. She was leaning against the stone, her face in her palms. Akali scanned the area: there was no sign of Katarina. Determined to put an end to this situation one way or another, she strode towards the Starchild. The latter raised her eyes, and their dark color shocked Akali: they were completely black, as if filled with ink. Some black veins ran through the healer's face and body, and a disturbing smoke was floating around her.

"Don't come near me." she said. Her voice sounded like two people were talking simultaneously. Behind a bestial and guttural voice, Akali recognized Soraka's, and her heart leaped. Maybe there was still a chance.

"Whatever you have done, you can untangle it. You can solve this whole situation by yourself, Soraka." While speaking, Akali kept walking forward carefully, watching every of Soraka's moves.

"No, I cannot. I thought I would be able to contain this power, but I was wrong. It is devouring me from the inside, and I can't stop it. Please go away before I hurt you."

Akali stopped in front of her and glanced at the altar. The book was there, put on the cold stone. This book had started all this. Maybe destroying it would liberate Soraka from its dark power. She slowly went around, looking at her in the eye.

"You already have." she said after a silence, and for a second Soraka's eyes turned back to their natural color. "If you could just lay down your weapon and let me help you one last time. This is the only thing I'll ask of you." She was now on the other side of the altar. The book was between her and Soraka. The healer gave her a confused look and a teardrop appeared by the corner of her eye. Akali took advantage of her distraction to lunge forward to seize the book. Soraka let out a scream and wielded her staff, her eyes darker than the night. Black psarks rushed in Akali's direction, but she had already jumped aside, the book in her hand. Spinning around, she dodged all of Soraka's spells, aware that the slightest wrong move would mean the end.

Rolling behind a column, she caught her breath. She needed a safer place to destroy the book. Soraka's spells had ceased and a supernatural silence took over the place. As quietly as possible, Akali kept moving further, using the shadows to go almost invisible. The wall burst out overhead. Soraka could probably sense her presence. Hiding were therefore no longer an option. Akali rushed to the exit. She noticed the room had grown darker, and the light was slowly fading. She reached the door in one piece and brutally bumped into someone who was running inside. Hands grabbed her and helped her stand up. Irelia dragged Akali up the stairs and stopped.

"She won't go further." she said. Her power is linked to the altar.

"How do you know this?" Akali asked, skipping questions about Irelia's presence here.

"I've been conducting my own research. We don't have time for this. The dark power comes from the book she took in the library. I got back to the inn, but couldn't find it.

"It's here." Akali replied, showing her the book. "I believe destroying it will help us end all this."

Irelia kept silent for a moment. "Take care of the book, I'll go down and see what happens. I guess I'll notice some change in her when the book is destroyed."

Akali frowned. She knew Irelia would do anything to stop Soraka, even if it meant taking her life. A cold shiver ran through her body as a voice in her head kept whispering it was the only end possible. She slowly nodded, staring into Irelia's dark eyes.

"Katarina is somewhere downstairs. I haven't seen her, but I'm sure she's still there. I'll destroy this as quickly as I can."

Irelia had a grin before standing up and rushing down the stairs.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Without looking back, Akali took the book to the next room, where she could see something in the low light. The book was twisted because of its short stay in the water. Akali put it on the ground and seized one of her weapons. With all her strengths, she stabbed the black cover. A detonation ensued, propelling her backwards. Akali managed to keep her balance. In her hand, her weapon was broken. The book however was intact. She opened it and repeated the process with one of her knives. Again, a shock wave pushed her away. Frustrated, she tried to tear the pages apart, but the paper seemed to be indestructible. Maybe only magic could destroy this thing. Trying to keep her mind clear, she rushed back to the staircase. The only mage here was Soraka, but Irelia's weapon was enchanted as well. It was worth a shot. She glanced at the dark room next to the staircase in passing: Warwick was still there, growling in pain.

The room underground was completely silent when she walked in. There was nobody, only black smoke floating around the altar. Using the shadows to become invisible, Akali ran along the wall to find a better spot. A cracking sound, like a thunderbolt, startled her. Black sparks came out from the altar, hitting the wall opposite to Akali's location. The stone smashed under the impact, scattering thousands of fragments across the place. Another bolt struck the wall. Akali saw Katarina dash from behind a rock to take cover further. She was whirling to dodge the spells. Irelia came out from another direction, throwing her blades one by one at the altar. A bubble appeared around the smoke which slowly took the shape of Soraka. Still hiding in the shadows, Akali thought about a way of reaching Irelia. Remaining unnoticed, she waited until Soraka focused on Katarina who was throwing daggers at her. Akali managed to move next to Irelia who was crouching behind a rock.

"What are you doing here?" Irelia asked when she saw the ninja.

"I can't destroy this book. We need magic."

Irelia looked at her for a short moment before understanding. Akali dropped the book on the ground and stepped back when Irelia's blades spun around her before flying towards the book. The same explosion echoed in the air, catching Soraka's attention. A beast sound, a scream of pure hatred reached Akali's ears, turning her blood to ice. Her last idea to destroy the book had failed. The wall behind them burst into sharp fragments. She rolled on the side, taking cover behind another rock. Following the usual electric blue light, Katarina appeared next to Irelia. Akali couldn't hear what they were saying, as she was too far away. Katarina appeared next to her and quickly said: "Distract her by any means possible. We have a plan." She disappeared in a blink. Akali stood up and used her last strengths to dash around Soraka, throwing her remaining knives. The smoke figure focused its attention on her. The Fist of Shadow managed to dodge every spell, but knew she couldn't last long. As she bent her knees to jump aside one more time, she saw Katarina appear right in front of the spark, holding the book. She popped out half a second later as the spell struck the black cover which got torn apart on the impact.

Everything froze for a second, and an inhuman scream broke the dead silence. Soraka's twisted body appeared in the dark smoke while the book fell on the ground. The healer dropped her staff, and all the smoke around seemed to come out of her body. She fainted on the ground, and Akali watched the dark energy gather overhead like a snake. Irelia, who had sneaked behind the healer, grabbed Soraka's body and carried her away, shouting: "We have to leave now!"

Akali dashed towards the exit while Katarina disappeared. From the corner of her eye, the ninja saw the black smoke flying to the altar, as if sucked by it. The ground started shaking as soon as the energy touched the stone. A moment later, a dead silence invaded the whole temple. Akali stopped to peak inside the room where Warwick was, but it was empty. Outside, the sky was dark, and the air was cold. Irelia laid Soraka down. She still had black veins on her skin, and her breath was hoarse.

"We have to take her back to Yrioma." Irelia said.

"And I suppose you're going to carry her all the way?" Akali replied.

"Unlike you, I was smart enough to come here on horseback."

Katrina had a mocking grin.

"Problem is:" Irelia carried on "there is only one horse. I suggest you and Soraka take it to Yrioma."

"I'll send people to get you as soon as I arrive there." Akali said.

"It's fine." Katarina said. "I think we can walk."

The ninja glanced at Irelia who surprisingly nodded.

Akali made her way to the capital, alternating between trot and canter. Winter was about to strike the country and the pale sun could hardly warm her up. The Starchild was still unconscious, but her heartbeat was regular. After crossing colorful fields, she entered the city, leading her mount to the hospital and shoving everyone in passing. Two doctors took Soraka away while another one attended to Akali, quickly healing her injuries. Her eyes were closing by themselves, and after having fought her fatigue for a moment, she gave up and fell asleep. Akali woke up with a startle, wondering for a second where she was. Still half-asleep, she went to Soraka's room. The healer was peacefully dreaming. Akali asked about her condition when the doctor showed up.

"She'll be fine. However, there is something we would like to know: it seems she has been affected by dark magic. Her body is still recovering, but some of that magic remains inside. Do you know what type of dark magic it is?"

"All I know is that it is a curse." Akali said reluctantly, as she didn't want the word of what had happened to spread. "I don't know much about magic."

The doctor stared at her before saying "You should get some rest."

Soraka woke up in the night while Akali was sitting next to her.

"How are you feeling?" the ninja asked.

The healer sat up before replying. "Ashamed, most of all. I can't believe I lost control like this."

"We all have our moments, I guess."

"Yeah, but you don't try to kill your friends."

Akali genuinely hated people who complained and wined about their lives. She retorted with a curt voice: "Look, it's the past, okay? What's done is done, and you can't change anything abut it."

The healer gazed at her in the eye and asked: "Where are Irelia and Katarina?"

"On the way. They'll probably be here tomorrow. I'll let you take some rest."

"Wait. Where did Warwick go?"

Akali shrugged: she did not have the answer to that question.

Soraka got out of the hospital the next day in the evening. Her skin had turned back to its normal purple color. There was no sign of Irelia and Katarina, but Akali didn't worry too much about it. She explained in details what had happened at the temple to Soraka. The healer said she actually remembered everything, but it was like she had been in a dream. They were standing by a,tree whose leaves had all fallen. The sunlight was decreasing, coloring the clear sky in fire.

"I'd like to thank you for following me even in the hardest moments." Soraka said, breaking the silence.

"Don't mention it. I know how important this journey was to you, even though it didn't go as smooth as I had though it would. Are you going to go back to the Institute?"

"Yes, I will leave tomorrow. I feel like I need to...be myself again."

"I don't think you'll ever be yourself again, to be honest. Every single action has a consequence on who we are and how you see others. What will you do when you see Warwick again? You can't avoid him on the Rift."

"I'll deal with that in time, but I won't ever fall back if that's what you wanna hear."

Akali had a light grin, and Soraka asked:

"How about you? How has this adventure changed you?"

Akali carefully looked at the tree. Its trunk was deeply cracked, creating a strong contrast between the sunset light and the shadow.

"I guess I learnt that even the kindest heart can hide the fiercest storm and vice versa."

She gave the healer a sarcastic look before adding "I also learnt that Soraka the Starchild can swear as much as anybody else."

"Not as much as some summoners, though."

"They stand beyond the 'anybody else'."

Soraka laughed and they went back to the inn.

The next morning, Soraka bid Irelia, who had returned, and Akali goodbye before heading back to the Institute of War.

"When are you going back?" Irelia asked Akali later, as they were wandering the streets of the capital.

"In a few days I think. How about you?"

"Tomorrow. I want to enjoy on last day here, as I probably won't come back before long."

"Mind if I join you?"

"As long as you don't do anything stupid." Irelia sarcastically replied.

"It depends on what you mean by 'stupid'."

"Setting the city ablaze, you know, something like that."

"That allows me to do pretty much everything. Anyways, where is Katarina?"

"Don't tell me you miss her. We parted half-way. She wanted to get back to the Institute as soon as possible."

"Killing more people."

"Yeah, because you never kill anyone."

Akali sighed: "Not like that."

Irelia suddenly became quiet and they walked to an empty park. Snow was slowly falling, and the pale sun could barely warm up the air. They kept chatting in the park until sunset. Slowly the darkness devoured the city as the sun disappeared behind the mountains overlooking the city.

When Irelia was about to leave the next day, she said to Akali: "I'll see you later. Be careful, whatever you do here."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Noticing Irelia's weird look, she asked: "Why are you looking at me like this?"

The Will of the Blades sighed deeply. "I know why you're staying here longer than you actually want to."

Akali's blood froze. How could Irelia possibly know about her plans?

"Maybe you can tell me where he is, then. That will spare my time."

"His last known location was the Crystal Cliffs. There are plenty of caves over there. You might wanna check it out."

"I won't take long, I promise."

"I know. I'll see you at the Institute."

Akali had a forced smile while Irelia's face remained expressionless.

This evening, the ninja took a horse and galloped towards the Crystal Cliffs. She reached the place a bit before dawn, when the temperature was the lowest and the darkness the deepest. In complete silence, she left her horse and searched each one of the caves dug within the cliff. In one of them, she found a sleeping bag and some supplies. It was probably his hideout, but there was nobody around. Akali sat cross-legged on the ground and waited, breathing slowly, all her senses awoken. She sensed a figure quietly slipping inside the cave.

"You took your time, didn't you." She said, opening her eyes.

"Better enjoy every moment of your life. I can only guess the reason of your presence here, Akali."

She stood up and glared at Zed. She hated what she was about to do, but she had no other choice.

"Shall we go?" the Master of Shadows asked with a polite voice.

Akali silently nodded, and they left the cave, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

 _ **Note: So, that's it. A Celestial Heart is finished (finally). I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Let me know what you think about it. It will help me improve for my next stories.**_

 ** _Many thanks for following me this whole time._**

 _ **Cheers :)**_


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